The Beginning Of Everything Else
by dashboard234
Summary: What if nothing had happened after Dawson and Joey kissed? This is a PJ version of Season 2.
1. The Kiss: A New Friendship

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Ever wonder what might have happened if NOTHING had happened after Dawson and Joey kissed in Season 1? Or what might have happened if Pacey hadn't literally collided with Andie? What if these two bantering buddies realized that they only had each other? This is a re-write of Season 2, episode by episode with a lot of PJ, with a bit of Dawson- bashing, sorry, but I can barely stand his character Seasons 1 through 4. Some parts of the episodes will be used, but I think I'll go creative and make most of the stuff up.  
  
Reviews: I would love any input!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joey stared at Dawson. He had this look in his eyes that she wasn't liking. A look of regret was written all over him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Finally, Dawson broke the silence.  
  
"So." he said. "So what?" Joey asked. "Um.I'm not sure what came over me.Maybe.damn," he stumbled. "Is that all you have to say, Dawson?" she snapped. "Well, I'm sorry that I don't really know what to say right now Joey! I just kissed my best friend, and now I'm not sure I should have." he started. "That you should have done it? How can you say that Dawson? Don't you feel that way about me?" she asked, interrupting.  
  
Once again, Joey stared at Dawson, searching his face for an answer. After what felt like forever, she got her answer. He looked into her eyes, and she could see it. He didn't. He didn't feel the same about her.  
  
"Joey." Dawson began. "Dawson, I know. You don't feel that way about me. I just wish I hadn't put my heart on the table like that," she said, trying to keep back the tears that were forming in her eyes. "Joey!" Dawson exclaimed. "No, Dawson. I need to be the first one leaving this time," she stated, climbing out his window. "Joey!" Dawson cried out. He ran to the window. Joey had quickly made her way down the ladder and was running to her rowboat. Just as Dawson had stuck his leg out the window, he stopped himself. He hadn't felt anything when he had kissed her. He had thought he did, but he didn't feel what she was feeling. He knew that chasing after her would only subsequently make things worse. He sighed, ran his hands through his hair, fell onto his bed, and tried to silence her haunting words.  
  
~Later~ Joey was sitting out on the edge of her dock, crying. She had just poured out her feelings for Dawson, and he had kissed her. But when reality hit, he hadn't felt anything. She already knew how much rejection hurt, but this time, she had thought for a moment that maybe he was feeling exactly how she was. But as quickly as that moment came, that's how quickly it had left. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the footsteps coming towards her.  
  
"Hey," he said simply.  
  
Joey turned around. It was Pacey. He was smiling, but when he saw her tears, his smile quickly faded into a look of concern.  
  
"Jo, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, stepping towards her. "Um.nothing. Just, uh, that time of the month, you know?" she said quickly, trying to dismiss the subject. "I don't believe you. Come on, tell me why you're crying on such a beautiful night like this?" he asked again. "Pacey, I don't really want to talk about it right now okay? Please, can we just," she started before Pacey sat down beside her. "Okay then. Let's talk about something else then," Pacey tried. "I don't want to talk to anybody right now. I," she said, her voice breaking. "Joey, come here," Pacey said, reaching out for a hug. "No, go away!" Joey said in tears. She tried to push him away, but he didn't back down. He put his arms around her, and he held her while all her resistance crumbled. He closed his eyes, genuinely upset to see her like this. It took some time, but Joey eventually stopped crying. "Can we go somewhere else to talk, Pacey? I don't want Bessie coming out here," she said. "Sure," he replied, standing up and reaching for her hand to help her up. Joey made a small smile and accepted his gesture.  
  
Ten minutes later, they were sitting by the docks, with Pacey's arm around Joey's shoulder. Pacey stole a quick glance at Joey. She was gazing out on the water, her mascara had left some black marks on her face, and her eyes were still a little red and puffy. However, he couldn't get over how beautiful she looked. 'Stop it Pacey. You came here for a reason, remember?'  
  
"Can you tell me now why you were crying?" he asked. Joey looked down below at the water. "I was at Dawson's," she began. "Dawson's?" he asked surprised. "Yes, I was at Dawson's house. We were arguing, and then I was about to leave, and he kissed me," she continued. "Shouldn't that be a good thing then? Wait." he said, putting the pieces together. "Did Dawson make you cry?" "I was rejected Pacey! That's why I'm so upset right now!" she exclaimed, tears forming behind her eyes yet again. "Oh," he said. He looked over at Joey, who was about to cry again. "You know, if you wanted me to, I could go over there and kick his ass for making you cry." Joey smiled. "What good would that do?" "Because nobody messes with my friends and gets away with it," he stated, looking into her eyes. This took Joey by surprise. She had to admit, she and Pacey had never been too close. It kind of shocked her to think he would beat somebody up for her. "Thanks for the offer, Pacey, but I'll be okay," she said, slowly getting up. "Let's go."  
  
~~~~~ Joey's House 10 minutes later. ~~~~~  
  
Joey and Pacey were walking together up to Joey's front door in silence. On reaching the front door, Pacey stopped Joey from going inside.  
  
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Pacey asked her. "Well, I don't think I can handle seeing him for a few days, but I think I'll survive the aftermath of my teenage crush," she said with a smile. "Good. Do you want me to talk to Dawson?" he asked. "No. Give me a few days to pick up the pieces, and things will get back to normal between us. Just watch. This'll blow over," she answered. "I don't think it's going to be that simple this time Jo. I mean, we're all changing. Are you sure you'll be able to pick up the pieces this time? What happens if you and Dawson can't fix this?" he asked. "Then I guess I'll just have you to keep me company," she said with a smile. "Thanks for listening Pace." "No problem, Potter. I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow. Bye!" he said, walking off. "See you Pace," she said, heading inside. It was going to be a tough day at school tomorrow, and she needed her rest.  
  
~~~~~ The next morning, Joey woke up to voices coming from the kitchen. 'Who the hell is here so early in the morning?' she thought to herself. Curious, she went into the kitchen to find out. She was shocked to see Pacey sitting at the breakfast table, drinking a coffee. He laughed when he saw the expression on her face.  
  
"And a good morning to you too Potter!" he laughed. "Um, Pacey, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I figured I'd come by early and walk you to school, Potter," he said. "Oh, well, just let me go and get dressed. I'll be back in a bit," she replied. "Okay," he answered, returning to his coffee. 15 minutes later, Joey returned in a black sweater and jeans. Pacey had his back-pack on and was waiting for her at the door. "Wow, um, you look, um, uh, nice," he stuttered. "Did I spill something on my shirt or something?" she asked, looking down at her shirt. "No, no, you look very nice," he said without stuttering. "Let's go." They left the house in silence. Neither of them really knew what to say. Joey was wondering about what Pacey had said, and Pacey was wishing that he hadn't said anything to Joey. The rest of their walk was in silence until they were about a block away from school. At that point, Joey couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"Why are you walking me to school?" she asked. "I figured that maybe you'd want someone to walk with," he answered. "Did Dawson put you up to this?" she implied. "No! Damn it, Jo, I think maybe you might need a friend right now! I'm not Dawson's lapdog, okay?" he said angrily. Joey stared at her feet. "I'm sorry." Pacey sighed. "I know. Let's talk about something else. Bessie was telling me more about Paris. Have you made up your mind about that yet?" he asked, eager to change the subject. "Yeah, actually I have," she replied. "So? Are you gonna escape from Capeside or not?" he asked. "No. I'm going to stay here," she answered simply. "That's it? No long monologue about why you're gonna stay? Come on Potter, I was expecting a bit more from you," he teased. "Well, I decided to stay because leaving would seem like the easy way out of my problems. I don't want to run away from my problems. And besides, Bessie won't admit it, but she needs me here. And I think deep down, I don't want to leave her," she said. "If he would have asked you to stay, would you have stayed for him?" he asked. "Maybe. I thought he was going to be the deciding factor in this decision. I guess I was wrong," she replied. "Well, to be honest Jo, I would've been sad if you would have left," he started. "I'm glad you're staying." "Why?" she asked confusingly. "Well, Potter, who would I have had to banter with?" he answered with a smile. "Come on Pace, its your turn to say something deep and meaningful," she smiled back. "Okay. I've been feeling like Dawson's been pulling away from me. And especially now, my dad's really been on my case lately, I'd usually go to him about it. But lately, he's been too preoccupied. And let's face it, besides Dawson, I've only got you," he replied. "Are you calling me a Dawson replacement?" she asked defensively. "No, of course not. I'm calling you Joey Potter, someone who's always been there and I've just failed to notice," he replied. "Pacey.when you talk like that, I don't know what to say," Joey stumbled quietly. "Just hear me out: how about you and me, try to improve our friendship? No replacing Dawson, just Pacey and Joey. How bout it?" he asked. He searched her eyes for an answer. He was delighted when she grinned. "That sounds really good, Pace," she replied. "So, I'll see you at lunch then?" he asked with a smile. "Yeah. See ya, Pace," she said before turning away to head into school.  
  
Another Note: Sorry about everything being all squished in together.I'm in the process of figuring it out!!!! 


	2. Crossroads: A Day At The Beach

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: I don't have much to say except thank you for reading my story, and on with Chapter 2!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joey was brushing her hair in front of her mirror. It had been a week since the incident. She still hadn't talked to Dawson about what had happened. He had attached himself to Jen, and she was a little uncomfortable about it. But, she really needed a friend these last few days too. Her grandfather had just passed away, and she was having a tough time keeping it together. She had talked a bit with Jen, and she was hoping that they could just start over. They had gotten off to a bad start, and Joey desperately wanted to patch things up.  
  
And then there was Pacey.  
  
He had walked with her to school every day that week, he had hung out with her at lunch, he had walked her home, he was replacing Dawson. They had talked about pretty much everything the last few days: their fears, their regrets, their dreams. They were being honest and open with each other. They hadn't brought up the incident with Dawson since their argument about it, and both knew that it was a sore issue for the other. Suddenly, she realized something. It was Pacey's birthday today. And she hadn't gotten him anything. 'Shit, he's going to be so upset,' she thought to herself. Before she had time for a solution, Bessie was calling her for breakfast.  
  
~~~~~ 20 Minutes Later Capeside High ~~~~~  
  
Pacey had an enormous grin on his face. He had just passed his driver's test a few minutes earlier. No birthday presents yet- his family had forgotten, but he knew Dawson would remember. He hadn't spoken a whole lot to Dawson lately, as most of his time was spent with Joey. And, maybe the fact that Dawson had seemed really preoccupied lately didn't help. He was thinking of making a new movie soon, but Pacey figured he was just trying to block what had happened with Joey out. He saw Dawson up ahead, and he ran up to see him.  
  
"Hey Dawson!" he said enthusiastically.  
  
Dawson looked up. "Hey Pace," he said, dazed.  
  
"Oh man, guess what?" he asked.  
  
Before Dawson had a chance to answer, he looked up and saw Joey coming up in the distance. He knew he had to settle things, the quicker the better, so he decided he had to talk to her right then. "Um, can it wait a second Pace? I have to go talk to Joey, I'll talk to you later!" he said running off.  
  
Pacey couldn't believe it. Not only had Dawson blown him off, he hadn't mentioned his birthday. And now he was going to talk to Joey. 'Great,' he thought sarcastically. He went to go up the stairs into school. He turned and instantly felt the hot coffee burning through his shirt.  
  
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you," offered a short blonde. Pacey looked at her with a scowl on his face.  
  
"No thanks, I'll be fine. Just watch where you're going next time okay?" he said frustrated, walking into the school hallways.  
  
"Okay, I will. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Andie. Andie McPhee. I just moved here from Providence and," she started.  
  
"Listen, Andie McPhee, it's nice to meet you, but I'd really just like to go to class right now," he said angrily. Before Andie could respond, Pacey ran off to class. 'What a happy birthday, now isn't?' he asked himself.  
  
~~~~~ Meanwhile.. ~~~~~  
  
"Hey Joey."  
  
Joey instantly froze. She knew that voice. She looked up, and there he stood before her.  
  
"Hi Dawson," she said simply.  
  
"We need to talk. About what happened last week," he said slowly. "I want you to know that I'm really sorry."  
  
Joey nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm sorry too," she said.  
  
"Joey, I want us to still be friends. Best friends. Can we just be you and me? Dawson and Joey?" he asked, looking into her eyes.  
  
"Yeah. You and me. Dawson and Joey," she said, with a small smile. "I've got to go, I'll talk to you later."  
  
"Bye, Joey," Dawson said. He smiled. It was going to be a great day. ~~~~~ Later. ~~~~~ Pacey was having a tough time trying to concentrate in Math class. He was having a horrible day. His last 2 periods had been complete disasters. He hadn't done his homework in either class, and he hadn't even touched his math assignment that was due today. Finally, he decided he would just ditch the rest of the day. Maybe he'd go and walk to the docks and think. Dawson had forgotten his birthday, his family forgot his birthday, and the only other person who knew it was his birthday was Joey.  
  
He had been thinking about her a lot lately. He knew that she would deny it, but she needed a good friend around right now. Pacey quickly snapped out of his thoughts and re-focused on math class. The bell rung, and he bolted for the door. He had to go find Joey. He quickly scanned the crowds by her locker until he saw her. He grinned, but his smile faded when he saw Dawson. They were talking by her locker. He could tell that she was uncomfortable. He slowly walked up behind them, waiting for Dawson to leave. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to him right now. Finally, Dawson left. Joey looked up and saw Pacey.  
  
"Hey Pace," she said happily. "Happy birthday!"  
  
Pacey smiled. "Thanks," he said.  
  
"Are you okay? You look a little upset," Joey remarked after noticing his sad expression.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just about to leave actually. Can't stand it here anymore," he answered.  
  
Joey bit her bottom lip. "Would it be alright if I came with you?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, I was hoping you would come with me," he said. With that, he and Joey left the school.  
  
~~~~~ 10 minutes later. ~~~~~ They were sitting on the beach. Neither of them knew where to go, so they settled on the beach. They sat on the sand, facing the water, listening to the waves. Joey finally broke the silence.  
  
"Ok, Pace, what's going on? It's your birthday. Why aren't you happy?" she asked.  
  
Pacey sighed. "I'm just having a rough day. My whole family forgot my birthday. I didn't expect much, maybe a happy birthday or something. Then I came to school, and Dawson forgot my birthday. He's never done that before. I guess, it just reminded me once again that we're all growing apart. And that I guess important days in my life just aren't worth remembering."  
  
Joey stared at the sad expression on his face. "Dawson forgot your birthday?"  
  
"Yeah. He actually blew me off to talk to you. Didn't even want to hear what I was trying to tell him," he responded sadly.  
  
"Sorry Pace," she apologized.  
  
"It's not your fault," he answered.  
  
"What were you going to tell him?" she asked.  
  
"Passed my driver's test. Ha, we're supposed to be on our way to Maine right now," he laughed.  
  
"You passed your driver's test? Good job, Pacey!" Joey said enthusiastically.  
  
"Thank you," he said, looking over at her. "And thanks about remembering my birthday too. You were the first one to say that to me today."  
  
"Well, I may have remembered, but I didn't get you a present," she admitted.  
  
"Just consider ditching with me as my present. If you wouldn't have come, I probably would be here alone," he said.  
  
"No problem. I wasn't having a good day at school either," she said.  
  
"Dawson?" he asked.  
  
"How did you know?" she answered.  
  
"I saw you talking to him. You looked really uncomfortable. Why?" he asked.  
  
"He wants to get our friendship back on track, but he won't address the kiss. He kept talking around it. And he kept going on and on about a new movie. And I realized that he's never going to change," she answered.  
  
"And?"  
  
"It just seems like he's never going to grow up. He's in the same place, while the rest of us are changing. And, I just want to get rid of these feelings for him. I want to move on from that," she continued.  
  
"Oh, it's just the feelings that were making you uncomfortable." Pacey started. "No. Dawson hung around me all morning, and you know what it made me realize? How much I enjoy spending time with you. I know it sounds so girly, but it's true. I was just waiting for you to come along and sweep me off my feet," she interrupted.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Glad I could be of service Potter. You wanna go some place else?" he asked.  
  
"No, let's just stay here for awhile," she replied.  
  
"Ok," he said. They sat there for the rest of the afternoon. They didn't talk much, just enjoyed each other's company. Around 3:00, Joey got up.  
  
"Pace, I have to get to the Icehouse," she said.  
  
"Let me walk you there," he offered. He got up and offered his hand to help Joey up. She accepted his hand and they walked to the Icehouse. Just before they got there, Pacey stopped Joey.  
  
"Would it be alright if I stayed here for awhile? My dad was pretty upset with me this morning, and I don't really want to go back," he said quietly.  
  
"Sure, Pace. Is everything okay at home?" she asked concerned.  
  
"Yeah, it's just about school. He'll get over it," he answered.  
  
"Pacey, if you want to, I can help you. You still have time to turn your grades around," she said.  
  
"I think I'm too far gone Jo. I don't think even you can save me right now," he answered.  
  
Joey took his hand. "Can we try?" she asked.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Okay Potter. You offered, so you're now my official tutor."  
  
"Okay. Now come on, Bessie's going to get really pissed if I don't show up soon," she said, pulling him towards the Icehouse. "Oh and Pace?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Happy birthday."  
  
"Thanks, Joey." They walked hand in hand to the Icehouse, both with huge smiles on their faces. 


	3. Alternative Lifestyles: The Confessions ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare and roundin3rd. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"And so, in our study of micro economics, we're going to be playing a little game I like to call Alternative Lifestyles. I'll be giving you each identities, and you have to come up with a comprehensive annual family budget. Let's begin the selection process," said Mr. Maddock, holding out the hat full of names.  
  
Pacey snapped to attention. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake in this class. Mr. Maddock was the type of teacher who liked to give long speeches. It had been a busy few weeks. He and Joey had been doing a lot of studying. But, that was about the only time he got to see her. She and Dawson had been working on rebuilding their friendship. They were always hanging out together now, and Pacey was feeling like the third wheel again. He would be in this role with Jen, but she had become fast friends with Abby Morgan. It felt like he was all alone again. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Mr. Maddock repeating his name.  
  
"Mr.Witter!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Um, sorry," he apologized before reaching into the hat. He pulled out a piece of paper. He read the familiar name: Joey Potter. "Joey Potter," he said out loud.  
  
"Okay, Pacey and Joey, you two are a lower-middle class family with three kids. Pacey, you're a bus driver, and Joey, you're a sales clerk," Mr. Maddock said. Pacey took a glance at Joey, who was writing all this down. Dawson looked a little upset about her not being his partner, but was eager to select a name from the hat.  
  
"Jen Lindley," he said. Jen looked up from her seat. She had done the inevitable: she had fallen once again for Dawson Leery. He had been there when her gramps had died, but after his little kiss with Joey, it felt like he was hanging around her just to avoid Joey. Now, Joey and Dawson were trying to repair their friendship. At least she had Abby. Without her, Jen knew she would be a loner. The bell woke Jen up from her daydream.  
  
"The projects are due on Friday! No lates accepted!" shouted Mr. Maddock as the students filed out the door.  
  
Joey went to look for Pacey. Knowing him, he probably wouldn't want to start the project until the last minute, so she figured it would be a good idea to try to get a good start on it that night.  
  
"Potter!" exclaimed a male voice behind her. She turned around to find Pacey standing there with a grin on his face. "Hey, Pace, I was just looking for you. Look, I have to work later on in the week, so maybe it would help to get a good start on the assignment," she rambled.  
  
"Sure. Do you want to work on it after school today?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great. Can you come over right after school?" she asked.  
  
"Okay, I'll walk you home," he answered.  
  
"Don't you want to stop at home first?" she asked.  
  
"Uh, I'd rather not. I'm in a lot of hot water at home right now, and my dad's going to be home after school, so I wasn't planning on heading home until supper anyways," he responded nervously.  
  
"Okay. Um, just meet me at my locker later. Bye Pacey," she said, walking away.  
  
"Bye," he said. He turned around, and instantly fell to the ground.  
  
"Oh, geez, I'm sorry about that man," said a guy that Pacey didn't know. Pacey got up.  
  
"I'm okay. Hey, are you new here?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, actually I just moved here from Rhode Island. My name's Jack. Jack McPhee," he said, reaching out to shake Pacey's hand.  
  
"McPhee? You wouldn't happen to know Andie McPhee would you?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Yeah, she's my sister. Oh, have you met her?" he asked.  
  
"Well, we sort of collided the other day. It was nice to meet you Jack, hope to see you around soon," Pacey said, running off to his next class.  
  
~~~~~~ Later on. ~~~~~~ Joey was heading toward her locker. She had had a rough afternoon, and now she had to go work on a project that was worth 1/3 of her econ grade. She saw Dawson up ahead. He was talking to Jen. As she watched them talk, she started feeling jealous. 'Joey, stop it,' she told herself. But she couldn't help it. She watched as Dawson and Jen flirting. She was touching his shoulder, he was giving her one of his heart-melting smiles. Joey felt all of her old feelings coming back. Finally, she remembered that she was keeping Pacey waiting. She hurried off to her locker, only to find a waiting Pacey.  
  
"What took you so long, Potter? I've been waiting here for quite a while now," Pacey said impatiently.  
  
"Pacey, can we just leave please?" she asked with an annoyed tone in her voice. She grabbed Pacey by the arm and dragged him outside. She let him go as soon as they got outside.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you Joey?" he shouted.  
  
"Nothing's wrong Pacey, it's just hormones, or something," Joey said, coming up with a quick excuse.  
  
"Well, I hear that Midol might take away your bitchiness, but wait, does that ever go away?" he said, extremely irritated.  
  
"Well, I hear that Viagra may make your dick look bigger than my pinky!" she yelled back. He stared at her, as if he had something to say, but he didn't say anything. She stormed off. Pacey continued to stare. He was determined to find out what was wrong.  
  
"Joey, what's going on? You were fine earlier on today, what happened?" he asked after catching up to her.  
  
"Nothing Pacey, can we just not talk right now?" she said on the verge of tears. He didn't listen. He grabbed her by the arms. He looked into her eyes, and strangely enough, he somehow knew what was wrong. He let go of her arms, and they started walking again.  
  
"What did Dawson do this time?" he asked softly.  
  
Joey looked up into Pacey's concerned eyes. "I saw him talking to Jen. And, I guess it brought back all of my feelings again," she explained.  
  
"You're not over him, are you?" he asked.  
  
Joey sighed. "I guess not," she started. "I thought I was, but I guess I was just telling myself that."  
  
"Well, are you going to talk to him about how you're feeling?" he asked.  
  
"Pacey, do you remember what happened last time I put my heart out like that?" she asked bitterly.  
  
"I'm just saying, you never know, he may have changed since the kiss," Pacey answered.  
  
"He hasn't," she replied. "He said that we could never progress past best friends. He told me that a few days ago."  
  
"Oh. I'm sorry, Joey," he apologized.  
  
"It's fine. I've done this before, I can handle it," she said.  
  
"I just don't want to see you get hurt again," he said quietly. It was Joey's turn to stop Pacey.  
  
"Since when do you care so much about me?" she asked.  
  
"Damn it, Potter, can't a guy just try to care about the best friend he's got right now?" he replied, hurt.  
  
"Have you completely forgotten about Dawson, Pacey? Since when has he stopped being your best friend?" she demanded.  
  
"Since I've spoken to him maybe twice in the last few weeks! Between you and Jen, there just hasn't been a whole lot of room for me," he answered. "We're quickly growing apart, and I've tried to fix it. But he just doesn't seem to care all that much right now. And I wonder why."  
  
Joey finally clued in. She knew what it was like to be the third wheel. "I'm sorry, Pace," she said.  
  
"It's fine. I just wish you would wake up and notice that I'm just trying to be a good friend," he replied, hurt. "And I can handle the bantering, and being the punching bag when you're upset. I just wish you wouldn't close yourself off to me all the time."  
  
"I'm not trying to hurt you, Pacey. But you're gonna have to understand that I'm not used to being completely open with anyone besides Dawson," she declared.  
  
"Really? So how come you came with me to skip school? Why did you spill your guts then?" he asked.  
  
"I needed to talk to somebody who wasn't Dawson. And in case you haven't noticed, besides Dawson, you're all I've got," she answered.  
  
"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.  
  
"No, of course not. I'm just not used to turning to you for my problems. I'm not trying to complain about spending time with you. It's just different," she replied. Pacey didn't really know what to say. He felt bad about assuming the worse from Joey.  
  
"Is it a good different or a bad different?" he asked with a smile, hoping to break a bit of the tension.  
  
"It's a good different. Oh, and I'm sorry about the whole Viagra comment," she said.  
  
"You should be. I was expecting a bit more from you. I think you're going soft on me," he teased.  
  
"And like the Midol thing was that much better? Come on, Pace. How many times have you used that one now? And how would you know about Midol anyways?" she teased back. They both laughed as they walked on.  
  
~~~~~ Later on in the week.. ~~~~~  
  
It was a slow night at the Icehouse. Joey was working, and Pacey was trying to put the finishing touches on their project.  
  
"I don't see why each kid needs their own room, Joe, they can all share!" he argued.  
  
"And I don't see why you need to have that Viper, Pacey!" she argued back.  
  
"It's such an awesome car!" he argued further.  
  
"Can you just forget about the car so we can finish the project?" she answered.  
  
"Fine. At the expense of my happiness, I'll do the typical guy thing and sacrifice for the good of my wife and what she wants!" he complained.  
  
"Thank you," Joey said sweetly.  
  
"We better get a good grade on this. I've had just about enough of your charm Potter," he said with an annoyed tone.  
  
Before Joey could answer, a girl entered the Icehouse. Joey got up to hand her a menu.  
  
"Hi, here's a." she started.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I'm not here to order anything. My name's Andie McPhee," she said, extending her hand to Joey. "I was wondering, I have a brother named Jack, and he's kinda looking for a job, but he's really shy, and I thought that maybe if you were hiring, I could put in a good word for him."  
  
Joey was staring at Andie, looking confused and she was still shaking her hand. "Um, yeah, we could use the extra help actually. Tell him to come here tomorrow and ask for me," Joey replied.  
  
"Thanks so much! It was so nice to meet you," Andie said. She noticed Pacey sitting at the counter. She walked over to him. Pacey looked up.  
  
"Um, hi, Andie, right?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, look, I just wanted to apologize," she started.  
  
"No, you have nothing to apologize for. I was just having a rough morning that's all. So, let me start over. I'm Pacey. Pacey Witter," he interrupted.  
  
"Andie McPhee. Oh, you already knew that," she said embarrassed.  
  
"Well, it is very nice to meet you Andie McPhee. Oh, I met your brother today. He seemed like a nice guy. You two should just fit right in here," he replied sincerely.  
  
"Thank you. Sorry, but I've got to go. It was nice talking to you Pacey," Andie said heading to the door.  
  
"Yeah, you too," he said. He went back to work while Joey made her way over to the counter.  
  
"Looks like Pacey's got a little crush," Joey teased.  
  
"Do not," Pacey replied.  
  
"Do too, and now you're blushing," Joey laughed.  
  
Pacey smiled. His cheeks were feeling a little red. "I don't like her like that. You're making a big deal out of it," he answered.  
  
"I don't get to make fun of you over girls that often, so please, let me bask in this glory," Joey said, grinning.  
  
"Well, bask up, cause I don't just like any girl, you know," he said.  
  
"You liked me," she teased.  
  
"Fine. I liked you. But believe me, those feelings have passed," he answered. He paused for a minute. "Can you imagine what would have happened had you returned my affection?"  
  
Joey was caught off-guard. "Well, I'd like to think I would have at least kissed you back that night," she replied.  
  
Pacey grinned. He was going to get the most out of this conversation. "Say Potter, seeing as we both know that I liked you, have you ever thought that way about me?" he asked.  
  
Joey blushed. "No," she stated simply.  
  
"I saw that! You blushed! So, tell me, when was I the roadkill on the Dawson highway?" he asked.  
  
Joey glared at Pacey. "I liked you a little when we were 11," she replied.  
  
"Really? Do tell," he said with a large grin on his face.  
  
"Fine. Let's get this out in the open. Do you remember that first summer day that year?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, we went swimming, you, me and Dawson," he responded.  
  
"Well, that was the first day I saw boys in a new light," Joey said embarrassed, but the look on Pacey's face made her continue. "I came walking out, and I saw you in those ugly black swimming trunks. And you had that huge grin on your face. And it kind of made me weak in the knees," she stammered.  
  
Pacey was shocked. "Really?"  
  
"Yes, really. But don't flatter yourself. I only liked you for a few weeks anyways. And that's when I started liking Dawson," she replied, her face a shade of red.  
  
Pacey sat for a few minutes. "Okay. You spilled your guts, now its my turn. Now this is my deepest, darkest secret. Not even Dawson knows this. It was the Fourth of July when we were 11. You remember?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she answered, intent to know what he was getting at.  
  
"Well, we were all going to go swimming that night at the creek, and watch the fireworks there. And I was already in the water, with Dawson, and you were just coming in," he said, his voice growing more and more shaky.  
  
"Pace?" Joey asked.  
  
Pacey could feel his cheeks starting to burn. "You were peeling off your t- shirt and shorts, and I couldn't keep my eyes off you. And let's just say that I got a little aroused."  
  
Joey started to smile. "So you liked me then too," she started.  
  
Pacey sighed. "Do you remember how before the fireworks started that I said that I needed to go home because I was feeling sick?" Joey nodded. "I wasn't sick, Jo."  
  
Joey didn't get it. "Then why did you go home?" she asked.  
  
Pacey was frustrated. His cheeks burning with embarrassment, he continued to explain. "Jo, what do you think a boy does when he's feeling aroused?" he asked.  
  
Joey sat for a minute until she finally understood what he was trying to say. Immediately, her cheeks were burning as well. "Um," she stammered.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Look, I better go, this is done anyways," Pacey said quickly. Joey just nodded. Just as he was about to leave, she turned around.  
  
"Pace?" she asked,  
  
"Yeah?" he said, surprised.  
  
"How is that your deepest, darkest secret?" she asked.  
  
"No girl had ever made me feel like that before," he said. "It was my first."  
  
"Oh my god, ok, I get, it now, um, yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," she said, stuttering almost every word, turning away so Pacey could not see how embarrassed she was.  
  
Pacey left the Icehouse. He could not believe he just told Joey that. Suddenly, he realized what had been nagging at him for the past few weeks. No girl had ever made him feel this way. She still gave him butterflies, 5 years later. 'Please, God, no,' he thought to himself. But he knew that this time, these feelings weren't going to go away so quickly. He walked home in disbelief.  
  
5 minutes later, Joey was still embarrassed. She could not believe he had told her that. She could not believe that she had told him about her little crush. It kind of felt surreal, how they both secretly had liked each other at that time. Then, Joey started to wonder. Did he still like her? And if he did, would he act upon his feelings? Luckily for Joey, a customer had entered the Icehouse, giving her something to do besides think about Pacey. 


	4. Tamara's Return: A Sense Of Closure and ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd and Molly. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Comments: Ok, I will share my creative ideas right now. I don't think I'll use a lot of Andie and Jack. I'll put them in here and there, but I'm not going to use them a lot. Also, the whole erection issue with Pacey last chapter, I had gone back and altered it after, but it didn't work right and I lost the document, so just play along! Finally, I am planning on getting Pacey and Joey together soon. I was going to wait, but I figured it would get really hard to try and write it in later, so I decided to put it in sooner. Now, I have nothing to say except thanks for reading my story! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on, Potter, I don't want to study tonight. We've been at Biology all week," Pacey whined.  
  
"We have to study, Pacey, you're getting nowhere with this chapter," Joey replied. They were walking downtown, on the way to Joey's art lecture.  
  
"Come on, I'm going to your art lecture, can we do something I want tonight?" he pleaded. He stopped her and gave her his puppy dog eyes.  
  
Joey sighed. She immediately gave in. "Fine, but we have to hurry if we're going to make the lecture on time."  
  
Pacey gave Joey a look of disgust. "Explain to me again why I'm taking you to this art lecture. I don't know a thing about art. Joey, I can't even draw a straight line!" Pacey complained.  
  
"Because, Pacey this is what friends do for each other. I asked you to come with me so I would know somebody there, and you caved. And now you're just too proud to admit it," Joey explained.  
  
Pacey sighed. She was right. What she didn't know was that this was just an excuse to be around her. The last month had been incredible. His grades had greatly improved, mainly because of Joey. He had even patched things up with Dawson. Dawson seemed to have his head in the clouds again. He was dreaming up some new movie, and that was all he was focusing on. Pacey didn't blame him though. He had seen Dawson's parents, and they were fighting constantly. He figured that this was just Dawson's way of blocking it out. Still, he and Dawson had hung out a bit more lately. Whatever had happened, they had fixed it. However, Pacey hadn't told Dawson about his feelings for Joey that had resurfaced. He was kind of worried about that.  
  
And then there was Joey. Ever since that night at the Icehouse, they had become closer. The whole group had become closer: him, Joey, Dawson, Jen. Now, Jack and Andie had started tagging along with them. Pacey had to admit, he enjoyed their company. Jack was shy at first, but he was a great guy. And Andie was just a chatterbox. They were both easy to talk to. However, Pacey did wish he could have more time alone with her. He knew that he liked her. There was no question about that. The real question was whether or not she liked him. Pacey was pretty sure that she was still hung up over Dawson, and he didn't want to ruin the new friendship they had. Pacey was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice that Joey was still talking to him.  
  
"Pacey!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"Um, sorry, what?" he asked.  
  
"What did you have in mind for tonight?" she asked impatiently.  
  
"I don't know. How about we just hang out?" he asked.  
  
"Ok, but you're going to have to come over to my house. I have to watch Alex tonight," Joey replied. "Now hurry up, I don't want to be late!"  
  
~~~~~ The Art Lecture ~~~~~  
  
Pacey stared intently at the painting on the screen. He wasn't sure what it was. All this art was so confusing, but it made him think. And Joey was having a great time. Besides trying to figure out the paintings, he kept thinking about how beautiful she looked. Finally, the lecture was over. Pacey and Joey both got up to leave. They stepped outside the building.  
  
"So?" she asked.  
  
"So what?" he answered.  
  
"What did you think about the lecture?" Joey asked.  
  
"I thought it was okay," Pacey replied.  
  
"You hated it, didn't you?" she said, hoping for an honest answer.  
  
Pacey shrugged. "Look, art's not really my thing," he started. Joey looked down at the ground. "But some of those paintings really made me think."  
  
Joey looked up. "Are you trying to tell me that you liked it?"  
  
"Beats studying, Potter," Pacey joked. The woman giving the lecture came up to them.  
  
"Hey, did you guys enjoy the lecture?" Laura Westin asked.  
  
"It was good," Pacey said with a nod.  
  
Joey nodded as well. "It was awesome."  
  
Laura smiled. "You know, I'm teaching an art class tomorrow. You guys should come and check it out," she offered.  
  
Pacey shook his head. "I've got to work."  
  
"Yeah, my artistic skills peaked in the third grade, so I better not," Joey said.  
  
"It's a beginners class. You never know, you might enjoy it," Laura replied.  
  
Joey smiled. She had had a great time at the lecture, and she kind of wanted to learn a bit more about art. 'What the hell,' she thought. "Okay, you convinced me."  
  
Laura grinned. "Great, how about we go back inside so I can give you some more information?" she asked.  
  
Joey nodded and followed Laura. "I'll see you tonight, Pacey," she called back.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Yeah, see ya Joey," he replied. He started walking back downtown. It was a beautiful day. All blue skies without a cloud in sight. Suddenly, up in the distance, he saw someone he knew. He wasn't sure if it was really her. The woman looked up and saw Pacey. She smiled and started walking towards him.  
  
"Hello Pacey," said Tamara.  
  
Pacey stood in disbelief. He couldn't believe it was her. "H-h-hi," he stuttered.  
  
"How are you?" she asked.  
  
"Um, fine. How are you?" he asked.  
  
"I'm doing very well, thank you," she replied. They stood in silence for a few minutes. Pacey decided to speak up.  
  
"What are you doing here in Capeside?" he asked.  
  
"I have some old real estate that I've yet to sell. I figured I come back and sell it off before I leave," Tamara explained.  
  
"Oh. Where are you headed off to?" Pacey asked.  
  
"I'm not quite sure yet. I'm going to New York to meet with a few friends, but then I'm not sure where I'm going after that," she answered. "Look, I know its been awhile, Pacey, but I couldn't leave Capeside without saying goodbye to you."  
  
"Is goodbye supposed to feel this awkward?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Yes, it is. So, goodbye, Pacey," Tamara said.  
  
"Goodbye," he replied. Tamara smiled and walked back towards her car. Pacey watched her walk. He didn't really know what to think. He thought he was over her, but now he wasn't so sure. He turned around, stunned, and he ran into Dawson.  
  
"Whoa, Pace, are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Um, no not really," Pacey answered.  
  
"It looks as if you just saw a ghost," Dawson replied.  
  
"I just ran into Tamara," Pacey confessed.  
  
"So?" Dawson asked. "You're over her, right?" he looked into Pacey's eyes. "Oh my god, you're not over her!"  
  
"I might not be," Pacey admitted. "But I need to move on."  
  
"Maybe you just need some closure. Maybe you should go talk to her again," Dawson suggested.  
  
"Yeah, I think you're right. But, I think she's leaving town soon," Pacey said, distracted.  
  
"So, go talk to her tonight. What have you got to lose?" Dawson said.  
  
"Yeah. Um, I'll see you later, Dawson," Pacey answered.  
  
"See you, Pace," Dawson said as Pacey left. Pacey shook his head. He was having a hard time processing what Tamara had said. But, he knew Dawson was right, he needed to get some closure on their relationship. He remembered that he and Joey had plans that night. He was going to have to cancel.  
  
~~~~~ Joey's House ~~~~~  
  
Joey ran up to the ringing phone. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, it's me," said Pacey.  
  
"Hey, are we still on for tonight?" Joey asked.  
  
"Actually, something came up. I can't make it over," Pacey said, trying to avoid what exactly had come up.  
  
"Oh. Okay. I'll see you tomorrow then," Joey replied.  
  
"Yeah. Bye Jo," Pacey said before hanging up.  
  
"Bye." Joey hung up. She was a little disappointed. She was looking forward to spending some time with him. The past few weeks had been a lot of fun. Although it was a little uncomfortable between them after they had confessed their previous crushes on each other, they had grown closer, there was no denying that. Sighing, she looked around for something to do. She decided to go and rent a movie for her and Alex. She threw a coat on Alex and they walked off to Screenplay.  
  
~~~~~ Screenplay ~~~~~  
  
Dawson was re-stocking some shelves. It had been a slow night. It seemed as if nobody was going to come in. Finally, the door opened. He turned around to find Joey and Alex. "Hey Joey."  
  
"Hey Dawson. Slow night, huh?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah. You're the first one to come in here in an hour," Dawson replied. "So, what movie are you looking for?"  
  
"I don't know. Probably some kiddie movie for Alex. I had plans with Pacey tonight, but he cancelled on me," Joey answered.  
  
"Oh, good, he told you about the whole Tamara thing," Dawson assumed.  
  
Joey was stunned. She couldn't believe Pacey, blowing her off for another girl, or in the case, another woman. "Um, yeah, he told me about it," she lied. "Um, I think I changed my mind, I think I'll put Alex down early for bed and catch up on the English assignment. Bye, Dawson," Joey said as she hurried out the door.  
  
"Bye Joey," Dawson replied. 'I wonder why Joey was in such a hurry to leave,' he pondered. He just shrugged and went back to work.  
  
~~~~~ The Warehouse ~~~~~  
  
Pacey walked up to the warehouse slowly and nervously. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, feeling trapped. He didn't want to go in and talk to her. He wasn't sure if his point would get across. However, he knew that he had to get some sense of closure before she left town for good. So, he gathered up all the courage he could muster and he entered the building.  
  
There she was. Sitting a few feet away from him, scribbling something into a notebook. She didn't hear him come in, so he had to speak to get her attention.  
  
"Hey," he said simply.  
  
She turned around. "Hello Pacey."  
  
"Um, ok, I must have ran over what I was going to say to you fifty times in my head on the way over here. Right now, I can't remember at all," he started.  
  
"I thought we said goodbye Pacey," Tamara said quickly.  
  
"We did. But, I don't feel as though we have proper closure here," he answered.  
  
"Well, I felt as though we did. We have nothing more to say to each other Pacey," she replied.  
  
"How can you be so sure about that?" he asked.  
  
"Listen Pacey, I'm not going to deny that seeing you again today brought back some feelings, but you and I both know that our relationship was doomed from the start," she explained.  
  
"Yeah, I know. I guess I was expecting something else," Pacey confessed.  
  
"Like what?" Tamara said quietly.  
  
"I can't tell you. It just feels like we're so unresolved," he answered.  
  
"Well, you haven't said how you feel about this," she said.  
  
Pacey looked at Tamara. "I came to tell you that I'm over you. I've moved on, I've grown up. And seeing you today reminded me that you didn't know that. And seeing you today was like the final nail in our coffin. And I wanted to be able to tell you this in a coherent sentence, so that's why I came back."  
  
Tamara smiled. "I felt like that too. I'm happy that we worked this out," she stated.  
  
"Me too," Pacey said with a smile. "Goodbye, Tamara," he said as he headed back towards the door.  
  
"Goodbye, Pacey," she replied. Pacey turned around and smiled once again. He opened the door, and left that part of his life behind.  
  
~~~~~ Pacey's house ~~~~~  
  
Joey was standing at Pacey's door. Nobody was home, so she was just sitting outside. Bessie had come home early, so she didn't have Alex tagging along with her. She saw Pacey walking up. She got up and started walking towards him.  
  
"Pacey!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
Pacey looked up from his feet. He was surprised to see Joey. "Hey, Joe," he answered back.  
  
"Why did you blow me off tonight?" Joey said angrily.  
  
Pacey was confused. "What?"  
  
"You went to see Ms. Jacobs," she answered back in the same heated tone.  
  
Pacey felt guilty. "Dawson told you didn't he?" he asked.  
  
"I heard it through Dawson. How could you do that Pace? After all you two went through, you still went back for her?" Joey demanded.  
  
"It's not what you think! And why are you getting all worked up about this?" Pacey shouted.  
  
Joey was taken aback by what he said. Her face urged Pacey to continue.  
  
"I went to go get some closure, Joey. And you didn't answer my question," Pacey said in a calmer tone.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me that? That you were going to get some closure?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know. I'm sorry, maybe I should have told you where I was going. And for the love of God Joey, tell me right now, why do you care so much about this?" he pleaded. He could only think of one good logical reason why she would get so upset. Maybe, just maybe she was jealous. He waited for her answer.  
  
Joey stood in silence for a moment. She was jealous that Pacey had wanted to spend time with another girl. But she couldn't tell him that. "I don't like being lied to, Pace," she finally answered.  
  
"But I didn't lie. I said that something came up, which was true," he argued.  
  
Joey looked into his eyes. "I wish I could have been the one that you confided in," she admitted.  
  
"How could I have told you? I didn't think you would understand," Pacey said.  
  
"Maybe I would have," Joey said sadly.  
  
"Look, Joey, I would have told you. But I didn't want you to get upset. Like right now," he replied.  
  
Joey smiled. "I'm sorry I overreacted, Pacey," she apologized.  
  
Pacey smiled. "It's okay. I know that due to the dysfunctional nature of our relationship, this is how you show me you care," he answered.  
  
Joey grinned. "Well then, I'm glad you know. Listen, I better get back home. It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow," she said.  
  
"Yeah. Bye, Joey," he answered. He smiled as she turned around to walk home. He walked into his house, thinking about what she had said. The only logical explanation for her little outburst was jealousy. She had been jealous that he was spending time with another girl. Which meant, she probably had some feelings for him. He grinned. His life had just gotten a bit better.  
  
Joey was walking back to her house. She was so confused. She wasn't sure about anything anymore. She didn't even know why she had gotten so jealous. Suddenly, it hit her. She had feelings for Pacey. 'Come on Joey, you don't have feelings for Pacey,' she told herself. But, she knew that she couldn't deny the truth. She, Josephine Potter, had developed feelings for Pacey Witter. He had been all she had thought about lately. And, she had even suspected that Pacey may like her in return. 'But how can I be sure?' she asked herself. She was so uncertain about the whole situation. And it haunted her the whole way home. 


	5. Full Moon Rising: Butterflies and Volcan...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly and kelcb26. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Comments: Ok, I can't remember what that guy actually wrote on his napkin, so I just made that part up. It's really bad, but I'm having a bit of writer's block right now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Come on Potter, I don't want to study right now. Come check out this moon," Pacey exclaimed with fascination.  
  
Joey sighed in frustration. "Come on Pacey, we still have to go over two more chapters for this History assignment," she whined.  
  
"I'm not doing any work until you come out here and check out this moon," Pacey called from outside. He stared up into the sky at the full moon and was mesmerized by its beauty. He turned his head away from the moon to watch Joey come outside.  
  
"Pacey, the moon is just a natural satellite that orbits the Earth and reflects the sun," Joey informed him.  
  
"Well, look at it. It's a captivating sight," he said.  
  
"How can you love a full moon so much?" she asked.  
  
"How can you not love a full moon?" he asked back.  
  
"Because, Pace, bad things always happen on a full moon," Joey answered.  
  
"What? Josephine Potter is superstitious?" Pacey said sarcastically.  
  
"First of all, it's not superstitious. It's scientific. And second of all," Joey said before punching Pacey on the arm, "don't call me Josephine."  
  
Pacey rubbed his arm melodramatically. "God, Potter, you pack a mean punch. Anyways, how is the full moon thing scientific?" he asked.  
  
"Well, human beings are made up of 70% water. And the moon controls the time, pulling great bodies of water back and forth. It does the same to us. It pulls us in different directions and disrupts the normal flow of things," Joey explained.  
  
Pacey looked intently into Joey's eyes. "Is that always a bad thing?" he asked.  
  
"Well, no," Joey started before she was interrupted by the telephone. She went inside to answer it. Pacey sighed. How could he work when he could only concentrate on the features of her face? He looked up yet again at the moon. He broke his gaze once Joey returned outside.  
  
"Come on Pacey, let's get back to work," Joey pleaded.  
  
"Joey, this assignment is due on Friday. Today is Wednesday. How bout we finish it tomorrow?" Pacey said.  
  
"Sorry Pace, but I have to work," Joey answered.  
  
"Well then, can't we just finish it there?" Pacey asked. Joey stopped to think. She figured she could probably get Pacey to help out about it at the Icehouse since Jack had the flu. And, she couldn't complain about the extra time she could be spending with Pacey.  
  
"Alright. Come over to the Icehouse around six or so, okay?" she agreed.  
  
"Okay. You're not going to make me work are you?" he asked cautiously.  
  
"We'll see," Joey said with a small smile.  
  
~~~~~ The Next Day The Icehouse ~~~~~  
  
Joey scanned the tables. It was a really slow night. Only one other customer was there besides Pacey. She smiled as she saw him focusing intently on his work. He was really starting to turn his grades around. "Are you almost done Pace?" she asked.  
  
Pacey closed his binder shut. "Yea, just finished," he said. He looked up at the other customer. He followed Joey to the counter. "How long has he been here for?"  
  
"I don't know. Mr. Bottomless-cup-of-coffee was here when I got here," Joey answered. "I wish he'd just to leave so I could close up."  
  
Pacey grinned. "Come on, Potter, cheer up. Now you get to spend even more time with me."  
  
"Aren't I lucky?" Joey said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"You should be a little more excited, Potter, women are probably lining up just to be able to spend a few mere moments in my company," Pacey replied.  
  
"Then maybe you should go give some girl a lucky break," Joey said.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm doing here," Pacey said with a smile.  
  
Joey glared at Pacey. "Really? Since when did I jump in line?" she asked.  
  
"I'm just making up for lost time when you were swooning over me," he answered.  
  
Joey didn't break her gaze. "I wasn't swooning over you."  
  
"You said I made you weak in the knees. I think that can be classified as swooning," he replied.  
  
Joey blushed. "Let's not get into you swooning over me, Pace," she said.  
  
Pacey opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His heart was racing and his palms were sweating. "Why?"  
  
Joey stared at him. "Do you really want to give me details about what you did that night?" she asked.  
  
"No, why. why did you like me?" he asked.  
  
Joey stood in silence, pondering an answer. "You had a nice smile and you made me laugh," she said. "I remember, um, when my mom died, you came over to see me, and I can't remember what we did, but I kind of felt better while you were there."  
  
Pacey nodded. Joey carried on. "And I'll admit, you were pretty cute back then," she said.  
  
"Were? Come on Potter, you're looking at the next American heartthrob here," Pacey said with a grin.  
  
Joey didn't say anything else. "Well, why did you like me?" she asked.  
  
This took Pacey by surprise. He cleared his throat. "Um," he tried. He looked up at Joey. "I thought you were gorgeous," he said quietly. "I remember racking my brain trying to think of when that transformation took place."  
  
Joey blushed. "Nobody's ever told me I was gorgeous before," she admitted.  
  
"Well, nobody's ever called me pretty cute either," Pacey answered with a smile. "When did you stop?"  
  
"Stop what?" she asked.  
  
"Liking me?" he asked.  
  
"Well, I just kind of got used to you making me weak in the knees. I never thought you ever liked me, so I kind of gave up on you. I thought that Dawson liked me, so I just kind of started liking him," she answered.  
  
"So, your crush on me just kind of faded away. Just like that?" he asked, sounding a little hurt.  
  
"No, I mean, yes, I don't know Pacey. I can't really explain it," she stammered. "Well, when did you stop liking me?"  
  
Pacey paused. He didn't have an answer. "I don't know," he admitted.  
  
"Come on, when did you stop thinking I was gorgeous?" she asked.  
  
"I told you, Jo, I don't know," he said frustrated.  
  
"Why are you getting so worked up about this?" she asked.  
  
"Why are you pressuring me for an answer?" he asked back. Before Joey could answer, the power briefly flickered in the Icehouse. Joey looked at a confused Pacey and then at the lobster tank.  
  
"Oh my god Pace, the lobster tank!" Joey exclaimed as she ran over to it.  
  
Pacey followed her. "What? What's the matter?" he asked.  
  
"The power's out! If we don't save the lobsters we're going to lose a fortune!" Joey panicked.  
  
"Calm down, Jo, let me get the tools," Pacey said as he rushed for the toolbox.  
  
"Hurry up!" Joey called. Pacey did as he was told, running back with the toolbox. He started fiddling with the plugs. Suddenly, the lone customer spoke up.  
  
"Try unplugging the power source, then plugging it back in," the man said. Pacey nodded, and followed the instructions. The lobster tank immediately began to work again.  
  
Joey felt a huge wave of relief go through her. "Thanks, mister," she said.  
  
The customer smiled and took a last sip of his coffee. "Anytime," he said as he got up and left the Icehouse. Joey and Pacey just stared at each other.  
  
"Well that was weird," Pacey remarked. Joey nodded slowly and walked over to his table. "No tip," she said sadly as she picked up his cup. Pacey walked over to the table. There was a napkin on the table. Pacey lifted it up. Underneath was a fifty dollar bill and some writing on the napkin. "Joey!"  
  
Joey turned around. "50 bucks! I'm rich Pace!" she said excitedly. However, Pacey was more interested in the napkin.  
  
"Hey Joey, look at this," he stated. He showed her the napkin. The man had written something on the back. "Its nights like these that prove how great love is. It's also nights like these that make us take chances. Take advantage of the opportunities love gives you on nights like these. Signed, A Hopeless Romantic," he read. He looked up at Joey who was staring at him. Pacey could feel his heart racing even further. Joey's knees were shaking. They were both staring into each other's eyes, looking for an answer.  
  
"Um, I better go put the tip away," Joey said quickly. She went to reach for the money, but Pacey grabbed her wrist. She looked up into his stormy grey eyes. She swallowed the lump in her throat as her heart began to race. Pacey just looked into her eyes. He figured that is was now or never.  
  
"Joey," he said with a shaky voice. He pulled her towards him and kissed her. Immediately, he forgot about everything else. The only thing on his mind was Joey.  
  
Joey was taken by surprise. She couldn't believe Pacey was kissing her. He had one hand on her wrist and the other on the small of her back, holding her closer. The initial shock faded, and Joey found herself kissing Pacey back. She placed her free hand behind Pacey's head, pulling him into her, deepening the kiss. Pacey moaned. He was actually kissing Joey Potter. And she was kissing him back. He felt as if he were spinning, and he knew he would have to come down soon. He slowly began to pull away from her, with his eyes closed. When he opened them, he noticed that Joey had yet to open hers.  
  
Joey couldn't believe that it was already over. She finally opened her eyes to see Pacey looking at her. Neither of them knew what to say or what to do. Joey scratched the back of her head, picked up the tip and walked behind the counter.  
  
"Um," she tried to say.  
  
"Look, Jo, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just gone and kissed you," Pacey stammered. He searched her face for an answer.  
  
"You have nothing to be sorry for. I did kiss you back," Joey replied with a little blush tinting her cheeks.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Yeah," he answered. "Can we talk about it?"  
  
Joey paused. "I don't know Pacey," she started.  
  
"Can I at least explain?" he asked nervously. Joey nodded. "Look, I guess it was kind of an impulse to kiss you," he said.  
  
"An impulse? Did you just do it because you were bored Pacey?" Joey asked frustrated.  
  
Pacey looked into Joey's eyes and her heart melted. "No. I want to be honest. I've been wanting to kiss you all night," he replied.  
  
Joey couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Really?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Yes. I've been wanting to kiss you ever since that night we finished working on that Econ project," he continued.  
  
"Well, why haven't you kissed me sooner?" she asked.  
  
"I was kinda thinking you wouldn't want me to," he said as he looked to the ground. He sighed. "I was afraid to tell you how I felt."  
  
"You haven't told me how you felt yet, Pace," Joey informed.  
  
Pacey sighed and looked into her eyes. "Ever since that night, Joey, you've always been on my mind. I haven't stopped thinking about you, or wanting to be near you," he started. Joey looked down at the ground too. He knew he had to come clean. "And, every time I see you now, I get butterflies in my stomach."  
  
Joey stood there, stunned and in disbelief. "Why were you afraid?" she asked.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? I didn't want to get rejected by you. I didn't want to pour my heart out to you like this and then have you tell me that you don't feel the same. I didn't want to go through that again," he answered. Pacey looked up at Joey, who was just standing there in disbelief. "I better go," he said as he grabbed his history book. He turned to go leave the Icehouse. He was just stepping out the door when he heard Joey.  
  
"Pacey," she said. He re-entered the Icehouse and set his book down on a table. She walked over to him. "What if I told you that I felt the same?" she asked.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"What if I told you that you've been on my mind too?" she asked.  
  
Pacey sighed. "See, Jo, I don't want to be a Dawson substitute," he said. Joey took his hands in hers.  
  
"Pacey, you're not a Dawson substitute. And if you'll let me, I want to be honest too," she said quietly. Pacey didn't have to say anything; his eyes urged Joey to continue. "When you kissed me, I felt as if there were volcanos inside me. I've never felt like that before. Ever," she said boldly, trying to look into Pacey's eyes. "And Pace, I don't want to ignore the butterflies or volcanos anymore," she finished softly, taking one of her hands to touch Pacey's face.  
  
"I don't want to ignore them anymore either," he replied. "But we don't know how this is going to affect our friendship, and what about Dawson?"  
  
Joey sighed. "I don't care about Dawson right now. I don't belong to him, Pacey, it's not like we need to ask his permission for us to be together," she said quickly. She looked longingly into his eyes.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Are you telling me that you want us to have a relationship?" he asked.  
  
Joey smilied back. "Yes," she answered.  
  
Pacey grinned. "I have no objections to that idea," he said. He leaned in and kissed Joey once again. And there they stood, both undoubtedly beginning the long fall for each other, under the full moon. 


	6. The Dance: First Date and Words of Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, and *~)TINK(~*. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!! ************************************************************************  
  
Dawson, Joey, Jen, Pacey and Jack were all staring at Andie while she tried to imitate the dancing from Footloose. Everyone was trying not to laugh except for Jack who hung his head with embarrassment for his sister's dancing antics.  
  
"Oh my god, don't you guys just love to dance?" Andie asked excitedly. Everyone just stared back at her. "You mean you guys don't love to dance?" Andie asked surprised. Nobody answered her. "Does this mean that you guys aren't coming to the Homecoming Dance on Friday?" she asked again.  
  
Dawson finally spoke up. "See, Andie, we're just not into dancing and school spirit," he confessed.  
  
"Yeah, dances just aren't our thing," Pacey said.  
  
"Well, I don't mind dances. Come on you guys, I'd say that a night out would be really fun," Jen argued, taking Andie's side. "Will you guys at least think about it?" she pleaded.  
  
"Alright, but we're not making any promises!" exclaimed Joey.  
  
"Ok, guys, I'll think about it as long as you all get the hell out of my room," Dawson said with a yawn. He got up and looked at the group. Andie was still standing up, and Jack was sitting behind her. Jen was sitting in front of the bed, and then there was Pacey and Joey.  
  
He still couldn't believe that these two people who used to despise each other were now dating. Joey was sitting in Pacey's lap, and Pacey had his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him. They had announced to the group that they were dating just a few days prior to tonight. Ever since then, they had been joined at the hip. And to be honest, Dawson had never seen either one of them happier. And all this after roughly a week. Dawson yawned again. "I mean it, leave," he said once again.  
  
"Come on Jack, let's head home," Andie said to her brother. "We'll see you guys tomorrow at school," she said as she and Jack left Dawson's room.  
  
Jen was the next to get up. "You guys better come to the dance. I don't want me and Andie to go alone," Jen said.  
  
"I don't know Jen, we're not the dancing type of people," Joey whined.  
  
"Joey, come on, it'll be fun. You're always complaining that all we do is sit around and watch movies, so I think we should all go," Dawson said. "I know that I sure could use a good night out with my friends," he admitted. That was true. His parents had decided to separate for awhile. It was really tough at first, but he knew that the only thing he could do was accept their decision until they worked their problems out.  
  
"Well, we'll see, okay Dawson?" Joey said hesitantly. She moved off of Pacey to the other side of the bed.  
  
"Okay. Oh, Jen, I forgot my jacket at your house yesterday. Mind if I walk you home and pick it up?" Dawson asked.  
  
"Sure. See you Pacey and Joey," Jen said as she and Dawson left Dawson's room. As soon as Dawson and Jen left the room, Pacey took Joey in his arms and started kissing her. Joey eagerly kissed him back, pulling him closer as their kiss grew more passionate. They were interrupted by Jen snickering and Dawson clearing his throat and looking at his watch.  
  
"Eight seconds. Honestly, please exercise a little more self-control in the future. Now get out of here," Dawson said. Pacey was grinning and Joey was smiling with a tint of blush on her cheeks.  
  
"See ya Dawson," Pacey said with his grin wider than ever. He and Joey left Dawson's house and starting walking towards Joey's boat.  
  
"You weren't seriously thinking of going to the dance were you?" Pacey asked. Joey didn't answer. "Joey Potter, what's gotten into you?" he asked.  
  
"Pacey, I think it'd be nice for all of us to go out and have a nice evening," Joey answered.  
  
"But why the Homecoming Dance? You and I both know that I can't dance even if my life depended on it," Pacey whined.  
  
"Pacey, you know what? I don't care if you can't dance. I want to go out with my boyfriend and do something fun," Joey replied. Pacey smiled. He liked being called Joey Potter's boyfriend. Pacey got into Joey's rowboat, then extended his hand to help her in.  
  
"Okay Potter. You got me," he said.  
  
Joey smiled. "You're growing soft Pace," she teased. Pacey chuckled and started to row Joey home.  
  
~~~~~ Joey's house ~~~~~  
  
Joey was checking her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a red dress that fit her perfectly, and she had let her hair down. She was just touching up her make-up. She was hoping to knock Pacey's socks off tonight. It was technically their first actual date. She looked at the clock on her nightstand. She had ten minutes to spare before Pacey was supposed to pick her up. She heard a knock at her door. She looked up as Bessie walked in.  
  
"Hey Bess, how do I look?" Joey asked.  
  
"You look amazing Joey! Pacey's going to be impressed," Bessie answered. "So, are you nervous?"  
  
"Well, it just seems a little strange, me and Pacey out on a date," Joey replied.  
  
"Was the kissing strange?" Bessie asked with a smile.  
  
Joey blushed. "No," she answered.  
  
"You have nothing to worry about Joey. Go out and have fun," Bessie said.  
  
"Thanks Bessie," Joey said. There was an awkward moment of silence before Bessie spoke up again.  
  
"When are you going to give me some details?" Bessie asked.  
  
"Bessie! What me and Pacey do is my business!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"Come on Jo, please???" Bessie begged. Joey sighed and gave in.  
  
"What do you want to know?" she asked.  
  
"Everything!" Bessie squealed.  
  
"I don't have time to tell you everything," Joey answered.  
  
"Fine. Is he a good kisser?" Bessie asked.  
  
Joey started to blush again. "Yeah," she admitted. She looked at Bessie.  
  
"Elaborate!" exclaimed Bessie.  
  
"Fine. When Pacey kisses me, I get butterflies in my stomach, I go weak in the knees and I feel like volacnos are exploding inside of me. Happy now?" she asked.  
  
Bessie grinned. "Very much. You better finish up, Pacey's gonna be here soon," she said as she got up to leave. Joey smiled and got back to her make-up. She heard the doorbell ring. 'It couldn't already be Pacey, could it?' she thought to herself. She listened intently as Bessie answered the door.  
  
"Hey Pacey," greeted Bessie.  
  
"Hi, Bessie," Pacey said with a smile. He had a flower in his hand. "I know I'm early..." he started.  
  
"Come in here Pacey," Bessie said as she pulled Pacey into the house. She sat Pacey down into a chair. "I'm only going to tell you this once. If you break her heart, I'll break your face, got it?" she said sternly.  
  
Pacey looked up at Bessie. "Got it," he answered.  
  
Bessie smiled. "Glad that we're on the same page. Might I say, you look very handsome tonight," she said. And it was the truth. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt and a red tie with a black jacket and black dress pants. His hair was spiked up slightly and he was wearing a little bit of cologne.  
  
"Thank you. You better imprint this into your memory, I don't dress up often," Pacey said as he tugged on his collar. "If I had my way..." he started to say, but he stopped as soon as he saw Joey enter the room. She looked beautiful. She smiled as she saw his mouth open slightly, then as he struggled for words.  
  
"Hey," she said.  
  
"Uh, um, hi," he answered, still blown away by her beauty.  
  
Joey smiled and took his hand. "I'll see you later Bessie," she said, leading Pacey out the door. However, Bessie blocked the door. She smiled and reached into her pocket and took out her camera. Pacey and Joey groaned.  
  
"Now, come on, I just want a couple," Bessie said. She quickly snapped a few pictures. "Okay, have fun!" she said as Joey and Pacey rushed off to the Witter wagoneer. Pacey opened Joey's door for her and then gave Bessie one last smile before he started the car and left. When he got in the car, he looked over at Joey. Her eyes met his.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"You, uh, you look beautiful," he said, still in awe of her beauty.  
  
Joey blushed. "You look pretty good yourself," she answered.  
  
Pacey finally remembered the flower. "Here, I, um, got you this," he stumbled. He handed her the tulip. "Um, sorry it's not a really nice one, I just kinda grabbed it out of my mom's garden," Pacey said.  
  
Joey smiled. "Pacey, it's beautiful. Thank you," she said. "You know, you didn't have to get me anything," she continued.  
  
It was Pacey's turn to smile. "I know, but it's our first date and I wanted to get you something," he answered. "And I couldn't really afford anything else, and I know that you kind of like flowers, so I thought that maybe you'd like one."  
  
"Well, thank you again. It's beautiful and I love it," Joey answered. She watched as Pacey fidgeted with his tie. "You didn't have to dress up," she said.  
  
"You asked me to," Pacey stated simply. He looked at Joey and smiled. He stretched out his right hand and let his fingers interlace with hers. "Now come on Potter, we've got a dance to go to."  
  
~~~~~ The Homecoming Dance ~~~~~  
  
Pacey, Joey, Dawson, Andie and Jack were all waiting outside the gym. The music had just started to play, but they wanted to wait for Jen. They had decided to go as a group after all. Jack had finally given in to going after a few days of guilt from Andie. Finally, Jen came running through the door.  
  
"Sorry guys, I know I'm late!" exclaimed Jen as she approached the group.  
  
"Finally, you're here! Let's go," said Dawson as he led the group into the gym.  
  
It was a wonderful evening. The gym wasn't packed, but there was still quite a crowd there. All of the group- Andie, Jack, Jen, Dawson, Joey and Pacey- danced the night away. Andie danced to every song that was played while they were there. Jen stuck with the group for most of the evening, departing for awhile to check on Abby after she was rejected by Chad Dunnigan, the varsity quarterback. Dawson enjoyed himself as well, dancing mostly with Jen. Jack stuck around with Andie, but he and Jen had a few intense dances as well.  
  
And then there was Pacey and Joey.  
  
Pacey had refused to dance at first. "This is the worst music known to mankind," he protested.  
  
"Pacey, just shut up and dance," Joey answered. Pacey did as he was told. He couldn't complain about getting to stay within 3 feet of his girlfriend for an entire evening. He still couldn't believe how beautiful she had looked that night. The butterflies were still fluttering in his stomach.  
  
They danced to almost every song, taking a break every now and then when a fast-paced song came on. They shared every slow dance together, neither one of them willing to give up the chance to hold each other close. And so, the whole evening continued this way. Finally, the DJ announced that it was the last dance. Pacey smiled as he placed his arms around Joey's waist as Edwin McCain's "I'll Be" came onto the sound system. Joey smiled back as she put her hands around Pacey's neck.  
  
"So, this wasn't too bad, now was it?" Joey asked.  
  
Pacey sighed. "Well, the shoot-me-now thoughts are gone, so I guess it was alright," he said sarcastically. Joey rolled her eyes. "No, it wasn't as bad as I originally thought it would be."  
  
Joey grinned. "I'm glad that you had a good time," she said.  
  
"How could I not have a good time when I'm with you?" Pacey replied. Joey smiled as she felt her cheeks begin to turn a little pink. She closed her eyes as Pacey kissed her forehead. Joey looked up into Pacey's stormy blue eyes. She could feel herself falling for him by the minute. They held their embrace until the song ended and Andie had come up to them looking for Jack and Jen. Once everyone was found, the group headed off. Jack and Andie headed home in her Saab, and Dawson and Jen decided to walk home. Pacey and Joey waved goodbye to their friends as they drove off.  
  
"So," Pacey started.  
  
"So what?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well, seeing as our first date is rapidly ending, I wanted to know if you had a good time, you know, it wasn't too weird or anything," Pacey said.  
  
"I had an amazing time with you tonight Pacey. Why would it be weird? I always have fun when I'm with you," she said.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Don't get all sappy on me now, Potter," he joked.  
  
"Well, if telling the truth is sappy, I guess I'm guilty as charged," she answered seriously. She looked over at Pacey, who was smiling at her.  
  
"Are we having one of those moments?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Yea, I think so," answered Joey with a chuckle. They sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of their short trip home. When they arrived at Joey's house, Bessie was already waiting outside with the camera, once again. She waved to Pacey and Joey who were both chuckling in disbelief. Pacey got out of the car and opened up Joey's door for her, taking her hand in his as they walked to the porch. They groaned as Bessie took another roll of film. Finally, Bessie went inside.  
  
"Well, on that note, I better leave before she breaks out the camera again," Pacey said as he put his hands around Joey's waist, pulling her towards him.  
  
Joey smiled. "Come over tomorrow so we can work on that History assignment," she said coyly.  
  
"Jo, we finished that project last week," Pacey argued.  
  
"Does Bessie have to know that?" she asked.  
  
Pacey grinned. "I guess not," he said as he leaned in to kiss her. It started off as a soft kiss, but it grew more and more intense. Pacey parted her lips with his tongue, letting out a moan. Joey readily gave his tongue entry and ran her hands through his hair. They were both so lost in the kiss that neither one of them heard Bessie walk up.  
  
"Joey!" she exclaimed with a look of utter displeasure. Joey's face grew a little pink and Pacey chuckled and gave Bessie his widest grin. Bessie grabbed Pacey by the scuff of the neck and led him to his car. Before he left, he turned his head around and grinned at Joey. Bessie pushed him into the car and headed back up to the porch. She stood on the top step and glared at Joey.  
  
Joey smiled. "What?" 


	7. The AllNighter: The Therapeutic Study Se...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, *~)TINK(~*, and Vera. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Comments: Well 6 down and 18 to go!! I'll try to update as much as I can, but for the next little while, I'll probably be updating about once a week or so. Thanks to everyone who's read this story so far. I hope I'm doing an ok job at re-writing Season 2 PJ style. And, I think I've been mainly true what really happened, but I decided to change up the All-Nighter episode. In my quest for a PJ Season 2, I decided it would be better to have a PJ bonding study session rather than the group one that really happened.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"And so, I hope all of you have an enjoyable evening cramming for the mid- term. I will be conducting an after school study session if anyone is interested," Mr. Peterson said as he passed out study guides. "This is more than just a mid-term. It's your life," he said as the bell rung for dismissal. Pacey jumped out of his seat. It had been a long day. He couldn't wait to go home and relax for the evening. He stopped by the door and waited for Joey.  
  
"Hey," he said, smiling as he put his arm around her shoulder.  
  
Joey sighed. "It's going to be a horrible evening," she concluded.  
  
"Why?" Pacey asked with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Pacey! We have a really important mid-term tomorrow! Were you not listening to Peterson? He said it was going to be really hard," Joey answered in a heated tone.  
  
"Jo, it's literature. We read the books, didn't we? If you read the book, then you've been studying for the test for the whole semester," Pacey said, trying to calm Joey down.  
  
Joey stopped. "It's hard to concentrate on anything with a crying baby in the house, Pacey," she said.  
  
"I understand. Carrie made fourth grade a living hell with the twins," Pacey replied. "And I always found it to be an extreme relief when I got to spend a night away from them. Why don't you come over to my house to study?"  
  
"Pacey, I actually want to study tonight. Going to your house would be a distraction," Joey responded.  
  
"Joey, if you want to study, then you can study. My father's working the night shift, and my mom's planning on going out with some of her old friends tonight. Nobody would be there to bother you," Pacey said.  
  
"Except for you," Joey stated.  
  
"Joey, if you want to study, I'll stay out of your way. Until you take a study break. Then I'm all yours," Pacey said with a grin.  
  
Joey smiled. "Okay. But one condition. You have to study too," she said.  
  
"Joey, I..." he started before Joey interrupted him with a kiss. "Please?" she said as they broke apart.  
  
"Fine. But only if we get plenty of study breaks," Pacey bargained.  
  
"Deal," Joey agreed as she took his hand. "Let's go."  
  
***** Pacey's house*****  
  
Pacey stared through his study guide. He sighed and tossed it aside. They had been studying for an hour already. He couldn't bring himself to concentrate though. English literature was maybe the only thing he was able to understand on his own. He really believed that as long as you read the books, you'd be fine. He knew he wasn't going to be able to study on his own, and now that Joey was here, he knew that he wouldn't be studying tonight. He looked over at her. She was reading intently through her notes about Gulliver's Travels. Finally, he gave up on his attempts to study.  
  
"Joey, I can't study right now," he said.  
  
Joey looked up from her notes. "Pacey, we've only been at this for an hour," she said.  
  
"And in that hour I have done five times the studying I probably would have done by myself. Be proud of yourself, Potter, you really pushed me beyond my own limits," he said. "But unlike yourself, I don't need to study a lot to do good on exams."  
  
"But, Pacey," Joey started.  
  
"I'm going to make myself a sandwich. Would you like one too?" he asked as he walked into his kitchen. He heard Joey get up and follow him.  
  
"Pacey, would it kill you to study?" she asked.  
  
"I don't want to study anymore. I can't concentrate. And you didn't answer my question. Do you want a sandwich?" he answered.  
  
"Pace, it's so peaceful and quiet here. Why can't you concentrate?" she asked.  
  
"You," he declared simply.  
  
"I'm not doing anything," Joey argued.  
  
"Exactly," he declared.  
  
"Pacey, we're not getting anywhere with this conversation!" Joey exclaimed. "Can you please use complete sentences so I can understand you?"  
  
Pacey paused. "How do you expect me to work when you're right across the table from me? How do you expect me to think of anything else besides how beautiful you are, or how smart you are, or how lucky I am to be with you? And for the last time, do you or do you not want a sandwich?" he asked.  
  
Joey didn't say anything. She smiled and walked over to Pacey. She took his hands in hers. "Don't you think I'm having the exact same problem? There was a reason why I said that you would distract me. How much studying do you think I've done?" Joey asked. Pacey looked down at his feet. "If you must know, I was thinking of jumping over the table at least a dozen times."  
  
Pacey looked up and grinned. "A dozen times, huh?" he teased.  
  
"Pacey, ever since we got here, only one thing's been on my mind," Joey admitted.  
  
"Really? What's that?" Pacey asked with a smile on his face.  
  
"This," Joey stated as she set her hand on his shoulder and kissed him. She slid her tongue into his mouth and battled his for dominance in the kiss. She moaned as he slid his fingers through her hair with one hand, and was holding the small of her back with the other. They searched each other's mouths for a few minutes until Joey broke the kiss. Her eyes were closed as Pacey softly kissed her forehead and spoke up.  
  
"You know Joey, you still haven't answered the question," Pacey stated. Joey opened her eyes and looked up into his as a puzzled look crept onto her face. "Do you want a sandwich? I think I've asked you four times now."  
  
Joey felt a small smile tug on her lips. "Yes please," she said sweetly before kissing him again.  
  
***** 10:00 p.m.*****  
  
"Pacey, who were the little people in Gulliver's Travels?" Joey quizzed.  
  
"Lilliputians. What was Keate's most famous quote?" Pacey replied.  
  
"Truth is beauty. Beauty truth," Joey said before a yawn escaped her mouth. She shut her binder. "I think we've done more than enough studying, Pace."  
  
"You can't be serious. I thought you said one more study break!" whined Pacey.  
  
"Pacey, we said one more study break two study breaks ago. And, I do believe we spent way more time on breaks than we did actually studying," Joey said.  
  
"And whose fault is that? You couldn't keep your hands off of me," Pacey teased.  
  
"You were the one who tickled me for ten minutes straight!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"Hey, at least I made studying fun," Pacey said. "Come on Potter, you're just in denial." He smiled as Joey stuck out her tongue. "Don't stick out your tongue out in front of me unless you plan on..." he started before he was interrupted by the telephone ringing. He got up to answer it. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Pacey, send my sister home now, okay?" Bessie said from the other line.  
  
"Alright," Pacey said with a yawn.  
  
"Talk to you later," Bessie said as she hung up the phone. Pacey hung up and grabbed his shoes and Joey's shoes.  
  
"Bessie needs you home now Potter," he said as he handed Joey her shoes.  
  
"Why did you get your shoes?" she asked.  
  
"Josephine, the streets of Capeside are treacherous at night. A beautiful young woman such as yourself needs an armed escort home," Pacey said sarcastically.  
  
"It's okay Pace, I can walk myself home," Joey said as she tied her shoes.  
  
"Well, tough luck Jo. I want to walk you home, so that's what I'm going to do, whether you like it or not," Pacey answered. He grabbed Joey's coat and helped her into it. "Let's go," he said.  
  
It was a gorgeous night in Capeside. The stars were shining brightly in the sky. It was cool outside, but it still wasn't extremely cold. Pacey took Joey's hand into his as they walked down the empty streets of Capeside.  
  
"What do you want to do on Friday?" Pacey asked.  
  
Joey smiled. "You remembered," she said quietly.  
  
"Our one month anniversary? No way," he said. "What do you want to do?"  
  
Joey thought as she stared off into space. "Nothing too fancy. Just something simple. Just you and me," she answered.  
  
"Well, you blew my plans, I was going to invite everyone over for a gourmet dinner party," Pacey joked.  
  
"I was thinking that maybe you could come over, and I could cook us a dinner or something," Joey replied. "Then maybe we could go for a walk by the docks. It really doesn't matter what we do."  
  
"Dinner and a walk sounds really good. Whatever you want will be perfect," he said.  
  
"Well, was there anything that you had in mind?" Joey asked.  
  
"Actually, I was thinking that maybe I could pick you up, and I could escort you to the back of the Witter wagoneer for a few hours, then we could make our way up to a nice motel for the weekend," he teased.  
  
"The back of the Witter wagoneer? What do you take me for Pacey, some floozy?" Joey kidded, hoping that Pacey wouldn't notice the blush in her cheeks.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Joey Potter, are you blushing because I brought up a hint of sexual innuendo for the first time in our relationship?"  
  
"No," Joey lied.  
  
"Joey, look at me and tell me that again," Pacey said a little more sternly. Joey looked up into his eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. They kept on walking in silence.  
  
"Okay, I was blushing because you brought up sex for the first time in our relationship. There, I admit it," Joey said.  
  
Pacey nodded. "Thought so. You know, we haven't really discussed sexual matters between us yet. We need to have this conversation sooner or later. And, frankly, I would rather have it right now."  
  
"Pacey, I don't know..." Joey started uncomfortably.  
  
"Please Joey?" he asked.  
  
"What do we need to discuss, Pacey?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I want you to know that I'm willing to wait," Pacey said quietly. "As long as you want me to, I'll wait, no questions asked."  
  
Joey stopped Pacey. She looked into his eyes, which told her that he was telling the absolute truth. "You'd do that for me?" she asked, feeling a little relieved.  
  
"Yes, absolutely, Jo. I have no problem in waiting until you're ready," Pacey answered.  
  
"But what if you become impatient? What if you leave me because you get tired of waiting?" Joey asked with a quiver in her voice, trying to cover up the tears that were filling up in her eyes.  
  
"Don't cry, Jo," he said soothingly as he kissed her forehead. He put his arms around her and pulled her in tight. Joey couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She buried her head into Pacey's chest as her tears fell.  
  
"What if you realize that I'm not worth the wait?" she said as she cried. Pacey stood in silence for a moment, knowing that it was time to tell Joey about the feeling in his gut. He pulled Joey away from him and wiped the tears on her face away with this thumbs.  
  
"Joey, I would never leave you just because you weren't ready to have sex yet. And, Joey, you are worth the wait. You need to know that I'm not in this relationship just for sex, and..." he started, taking a deep breath. Joey looked into his eyes, unsure of what he was about to say.  
  
"And?" she asked softly.  
  
"And that I'm in this relationship because I love you," he said, looking into her eyes. "I think I've known ever since that night at the Icehouse when we were working on that Econ project, I just didn't know what it was."  
  
Joey looked back into Pacey's eyes. Once again, she knew that he was telling the truth. She smiled and rested her forehead against his. She cleared her throat. "I love you too."  
  
Pacey felt as if his heart was about to explode. The girl he loved more than anything had just told him that she loved him back. He smiled. "Is it alright if I kiss you now?" he asked.  
  
Joey smiled. "You better kiss me now," she teased. Pacey leaned in and kissed her. It was their most passionate kiss yet. Joey placed one hand on Pacey's shoulder and the other hand at the back of his neck. Pacey kept his hands at Joey's back, pulling her body towards his. It was a few minutes before they broke apart.  
  
Pacey smiled as he grabbed Joey's hand. "Come on Potter, let's get you home. We do have a mid-term tomorrow."  
  
Joey smiled. "You know Pace, this has maybe been the best study session I've ever had," she said.  
  
"Me too, Potter. Between getting to make out with you for the majority of the evening and getting our feelings out in the open, this has been the most therapeutic study session I've ever experienced," Pacey replied. He grinned as Joey rolled her eyes. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder.  
  
Joey closed her eyes under his touch. "I'm glad I could be of service," she said. Pacey chuckled and kiss the top of her head. They walked the rest of the way to Joey's house in a comfortable silence. 


	8. The Reluctant Hero: Pacey Saves The Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, *~)TINK(~*, Vera, Annie and Pacey-Luver. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Comments: Sorry that it's been so long since my last update! I've been having a bit of writer's block for this episode, so I've kind of been putting it off the past few weeks. There should be a quick update after this chapter as long as my computer cooperates! ************************************************************************  
  
"Joey!" called Dawson from down the hallway.  
  
Joey spun around to see Dawson sprinting down the hallway with a sheet of paper in his hand. "Hey Dawson, what's up?" she asked.  
  
"We won!" Dawson said jubilantly.  
  
"What do you mean, we won?" Joey asked confused.  
  
"We won the junior division at the Boston Film Festival!" exclaimed Dawson.  
  
"Oh my god! When did you find out?" Joey asked.  
  
"Just this morning! And look, they gave us $2500 for our next project!" Dawson answered.  
  
"Wow! Dawson, I can't believe it. I'm so proud of you," Joey said.  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself. I've even got an idea for a new script. But, I'm planning on going out tonight to celebrate. What do you say, just you and me, got out and do something?" Dawson offered hopefully.  
  
"Sorry, Dawson, Pacey and I are going on a double date with Jack and Jen tonight," Joey sad with a sad smile.  
  
Dawson's face fell, but he covered it up pretty quickly. "Oh, that's okay. Hey, since when have Jack and Jen been dating?"  
  
"Actually, tonight's the inaugural evening. They're both really nervous though, so Jen asked me and Pacey to come along in case things get too weird," Joey answered. The bell rung for first period. "Gotta go. I'll see you later Dawson."  
  
"See ya, Joey," Dawson said as he watched her turn to leave. He missed spending time with Joey, just him and her. She was either working or at art class or with Pacey. Dawson couldn't hide the pain that he felt from being ignored. However, he quickly shrugged it off. 'You're just feeling left out,' he told himself. He realized that he was late and quickly ran off to class.  
  
***** After school... *****  
  
"So, run this by me again. Why are we going on this date with Jack and Jen?" Pacey asked Joey as he started his car.  
  
"Because, Pacey, they're both nervous about this date. Jen said that she would appreciate it if you and I were there in case it got too weird between them. And seeing as Jen and I are becoming better friends, I said that we would go," Joey explained.  
  
Pacey chuckled. "Do you remember the last time we went on a double date with Jen?" he asked.  
  
Joey smiled and rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately."  
  
"Oh, come on Joey. You should be happy. Lots of girls would die to go on a date with me," Pacey kidded.  
  
"Really? Well then, I have to tell them the truth. You weren't exactly the best date that evening," Joey said.  
  
"Hey, you were practically drooling all over Dawson!" Pacey exclaimed.  
  
"You ditched me to try and get lucky with another girl!" Joey said as she fought back. There was a brief moment of silence.  
  
"At least I was a better date on our actual first date," Pacey said.  
  
"Yes, you certainly improved your dating etiquette," Joey replied. "And I expect that tonight. I want the perfect gentleman Pacey."  
  
"Are you saying that I'm not the perfect gentleman on a regular basis?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Do you remember the last time we went to the movie theatre?" Joey said as she gave Pacey a look.  
  
Pacey laughed as he remembered how an usher had to ask them to leave because they were making out in the back of the theatre. "Come on, that chick flick was really boring, and besides, you seemed a bit more interested in me that evening."  
  
"Don't flatter yourself too much, Pace," Joey said as Pacey pulled up to her house. "Pick me up at seven, okay?"  
  
Pacey leaned over to kiss her. "Yes, dear," he sighed.  
  
***** Later on, during the date... *****  
  
"So, that movie wasn't half bad," Jack said nervously as the group exited the movie theatre. He was really nervous. He hadn't even focused on the movie. Instead, he had spent the past hour and a half staring at Jen.  
  
"Yeah, it was okay," Joey said as she reached for Pacey's hand. "So, where to now?"  
  
"Um, maybe we could head over..." Jack started before he was cut off by his cell phone. "Hello? Andie, what's the matter? Oh my god, okay, calm down! Yeah, I'll go right over," he said before he hung up.  
  
"What's wrong? Is Andie okay?" Jen questioned before pausing. "Is it your mom?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, look, Pacey, can we hurry over to Molly's Market?" Jack stumbled.  
  
"Yeah, what's the problem?" Pacey asked with concern.  
  
"It's complicated..." Jack started nervously. However, he eased up a bit when Jen took his hand in hers. "Okay. Um, about a year ago, we got into a car accident, my whole family. My mom, she didn't see the truck coming. Um, anyways, my older brother Tim, he, uh, died in the accident, but my mom, she stills sees him every now and then. And apparently right now, she's having a breakdown at Molly's Market. Andie doesn't think she'll be able to handle her alone, so I need to haul my ass over there as soon as I can. And, um, yeah, that's about it."  
  
Pacey and Joey looked at Jack with shock. They had reached Pacey's car. Pacey and Joey sat up front while Jack and Jen sat in the back. Nobody knew what to say. Pacey was driving frantically towards Molly's Market, determined to do whatever it took to help Jack. Joey was just stunned. She had met Mrs. McPhee before and she had seemed fine. Jack was feeling terrified. His mom had done this last week too, and it had been a real struggle to get her home. Jen just sat next to Jack, holding his hand. She had known of Mrs. McPhee's "situation" for a few weeks already. She just hoped that everything would be okay. Finally, when they had reached Molly's Market, the group quickly piled out of the car. Sure enough, Mrs. McPhee was standing in the middle of the store looking lost and confused.  
  
"My husband. He fixes things. You should call my husband. He can fix things," Mrs. McPhee said to a group of customers.  
  
"Hey Mom," Jack said softly. "I think it's time we go home, okay?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Jack, I can't go home. I can't. It's over. It's all over!" Mrs. McPhee exclaimed. Jack looked back at his friends. Pacey looked intently at Mrs. McPhee. Suddenly, he got an idea.  
  
"Hey, Jack, let me try something," Pacey said. Jack just nodded sadly. "Hey, Mrs. McPhee. Do you remember me?"  
  
"Oh, you're Pacey. You picked up my son Jack for his date tonight," Mrs. McPhee answered.  
  
"Yep, that's me, I'm Pacey. So what are you doing here, picking up some groceries?" Pacey asked.  
  
"I don't know," admitted Mrs. McPhee.  
  
"Well, it looks like you're not done yet. Here, let me help you out. Um, hey, marshmallows! That's a food group all on it's own!" Pacey said, trying to convince Mrs. McPhee.  
  
"You don't want those. Too many will make you sick. I have some turkey, and some roast beef in the fridge. I could make you a sandwich, if you were hungry," Mrs. McPhee offered.  
  
"Well, Mrs. McPhee, I would love a sandwich. Come on, let me drive you home," Pacey said as he extended his hand to Mrs. McPhee. She reached out and took his hand. Jack smiled a little. Who would have thought that Pacey would know exactly what to say to his mother? They all got into Pacey's car and headed to the McPhee's.  
  
***** Later on... *****  
  
"Thanks for helping me out there Pace," Jack said as he shut the door to his mother's room.  
  
"Oh man, that was nothing. I'm just glad that she's okay. And um, Jack , if you or Andie ever need anything, you just have to ask, okay?" Pacey replied.  
  
"Okay. Um, I'm sorry if your evening with Joey didn't really turn out..." he started.  
  
"No, it's okay. We were just there for you and Jen. Speaking of Jen," Pacey started. "I think she really likes you."  
  
"Really? I've been worried that she's not completely over Dawson. I don't want to be a second choice," Jack replied.  
  
"I know what you mean. Joey used to have this massive crush on Dawson too," Pacey answered.  
  
"Really?" Jack asked.  
  
"Yeah. But then you know, she came to her senses and started liking me," Pacey said sarcastically. "Honestly Jack, if Jen didn't like you, she wouldn't be here trying to help you out."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Jack said weakly.  
  
"Look, you should have seen her tonight. She was beaming. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time," Pacey confessed.  
  
"Well, I do have a certain charm," Jack joked. Pacey chuckled. The clock stuck ten o'clock. "Hey, you guys should get going. I think me and Andie can take it from here."  
  
"Alright. I'll see you later, Jack," Pacey said as he walked off with a smile to get Joey.  
  
"Wait, Pacey. I just wanna thank you again," Jack said as he extended his hand to Pacey.  
  
Pacey grinned as he shook Jack's hand. "No problem." He turned the corner into the McPhee's living room to get Joey. Jen and Joey quickly said their goodbyes as Pacey helped Joey with her coat.  
  
"Thank you so much for coming tonight guys," Jen said.  
  
"It was our pleasure. We should do this again sometime," Joey said. "See you tomorrow, Jen. Bye, Jack," she called out as she and Pacey left the McPhee house. Pacey first opened Joey's door before climbing into the car himself. He started the car and looked over at Joey who was smiling at him.  
  
"What?" Pacey asked as he backed out of the driveway.  
  
"I was just remembering how you saved the day tonight," Joey answered.  
  
"I didn't save the day Jo," Pacey started humbly.  
  
"Yes, you did. A difficult situation arose and you came to the rescue. What if we hadn't gotten there in time Pace? What if Jack hadn't have been able to coax her out of there? She might have suffered through a major breakdown. You prevented a bad situation from happening, Pacey. You were the hero," Joey explained.  
  
Pacey sat in silence for a moment. He didn't really know how to respond to what Joey had said. "Um," he tried.  
  
Joey took his right hand in hers and let their fingers lace together. "I'm proud of you," she said softly, but loud enough that Pacey could hear it.  
  
Pacey still sat in silence. He didn't know how to respond to someone saying all these great things about him. "Uh, um, I," he stumbled. He struggled to find the right words.  
  
Joey looked over at Pacey. He looked to be in complete shock. "Pacey, pull over," she said. Pacey didn't even stop to think, he just did what he was told. He got out of the car and started walking towards Joey's side, where he met Joey coming his way. Joey placed one of her hands on Pacey's cheek. "Pacey, what's wrong?" she asked with concern.  
  
Pacey closed his eyes for a second, searching for the right words. "Um, Jo, I'm just not used to hearing stuff like that, you know, at least not when the words are thrown my way."  
  
"Pacey..." Joey started.  
  
"I've always been the sidekick, the black sheep or the loser. I've never gotten to be the hero, or the one that someone's proud of at the end of the day," Pacey interrupted.  
  
"Well, you better get used to being the hero and you better get used to having someone being proud of you," Joey said. Pacey tilted his head downwards. Joey softly pushed his chin up so he was looking into her eyes. "Because you're my hero and I am so, so proud of you," she finished with a smile.  
  
Pacey slowly exhaled as a smile tugged at his lips. "You're amazing, you know that?" he said adoringly.  
  
Joey looked down at the ground as she felt her cheeks turn pink. She looked up into Pacey's sparkling blue eyes. "I love you, Pacey," she said as she leaned forward to kiss his forehead.  
  
Pacey closed his eyes under Joey's touch. "I love you too," he replied. "Now, this looks like a great place to make out, don't you think?" he asked.  
  
Joey smiled. "It sure does," she said before kissing him again. 


	9. The Election: A Shoulder To Cry On

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, *~)TINK(~*, Vera, Annie and Pacey-Luver. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
"Come on Joey, please," nagged Andie.  
  
"Andie, I told you already, I'm not going to be your running mate in the election!" exclaimed Joey.  
  
"Well, why not Joey? I mean I think we really could have a shot of winning!" argued Andie.  
  
"Andie, come on. You know my family's history. There's no way that our sophomore class would elect the convict's daughter into school office," Joey reasoned.  
  
"Joey, they're not going to care about who you are, it's about how you plan to govern your class. This is not a popularity contest," Andie said.  
  
"Andie, this is going to be a popularity contest. Only the outrageously popular airheads get elected into school office," Joey replied.  
  
Andie sighed. "Please Joey? I really think you'd be an excellent candidate for the election. Will you at least think about it?"  
  
Joey gave in. "Okay. I'll think about it. But I'm not promising anything!"  
  
"Thanks, you're the greatest! I'll see you later," Andie said excitedly as she took off for class. Joey just shook her head as she walked into her first period class.  
  
****** Lunch ******  
  
Pacey saw Joey sitting alone in the cafeteria. He smiled as he walked up behind her. He covered her eyes with his hands. "Guess who?"  
  
Joey smiled. "Well, it obviously sounds like one of my boyfriends. Which one is it? Danny? Kyle? Paul?" she teased.  
  
"Well, I did have to beat them all off with a stick," he joked as he uncovered her eyes. He leaned over to kiss her softly. "How was your morning?"  
  
"Okay, except I kind of have a problem," Joey answered.  
  
"What's wrong?" Pacey asked.  
  
"I don't know how to tell Andie that I don't want to be her running mate in the election," Joey replied.  
  
"Well, why don't you want to do it?" Pacey inquired.  
  
"Pacey, I would make an awful candidate. I'm just the tall girl from the wrong side of the creek whose father just happens to be serving time for drug trafficking. Nobody would vote for me," Joey said.  
  
"I would," Pacey said.  
  
"You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend," Joey argued.  
  
"Actually, I'd vote you because you're probably the smartest, hardest working person in the school," Pacey answered with a smile.  
  
Joey blushed a little at Pacey's comment. "Pace, that's only what you think," she said.  
  
"You never know. And, Andie only asked you to be her running mate right?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she answered.  
  
"Then, if you two get elected, you can always drop out if you don't want to go any further," Pacey said.  
  
"Why are you pushing me to run?" Joey asked.  
  
"Listen, Joey, you know I'll support you whatever you do. I just think that you could do a lot of good for the school you know? But, I'm behind you, no matter what," Pacey assured.  
  
Joey smiled. "Okay. You just convinced me. But if this all blows up in my face, I'm blaming you."  
  
"Why? Because my charm is so irresistible?" Pacey kidded.  
  
"Precisely," Joey said as she leaned in to kiss him.  
  
***** Four Days Later... *****  
  
"Okay, I think we're ready for the debate," Andie said. "We've got all of our objectives written down, and I think as long as we follow my political strategy, we should have no problem wiping the floor with the other candidates!"  
  
"What if this turns into a mud-slinging contest?" Joey asked.  
  
"It's not going to. Just read off the cards and we'll be fine!" Andie exclaimed as she grabbed Joey by the arm and led her into the gym for the debate.  
  
The debate started well. There were two other groups running: Kenny Riley with Dustin Baker and Chris Wolfe with Abby Morgan. Kenny and Dustin had strictly academic ideas while Chris and Abby were more worried about eliminating study hall. There were good arguments. Andie and Joey kept up with the other groups, answering their questions with relative ease. Just when Joey was starting to relax, Abby put her plan into action. She was asked why the students should vote for her and Chris.  
  
"I think it's a pretty obvious choice. I mean look at our competition. We have two random losers and the mental patient and the convict's daughter," Abby started. She paused as the students took this in. "Yes, it has come to my attention that Andie McPhee's mother has a mental disease that actually caused the car accident which resulted in the death of Andie's older brother Tim. And, since we all know that mental diseases are hereditary, you do the math."  
  
Andie just stood in shock. Joey quickly spoke up. "Let's just stick to politics, Abby," she said.  
  
"Oh, leave it up to the convict's daughter to defend the poor little mental girl. You're just a piece of All-American white trash who'll only disgrace her family more with time," Abby said harshly. Joey just stood and glared at Abby, trying to hold back the tears and the urge to slap Abby right then and there. Luckily, Mr. Milo stepped in.  
  
"That's enough for this debate. Abby, may I have a word?" he asked as he dismissed the students. Joey still stood in her place, unable to move. Andie ran off to the bathroom, with Jack following in pursuit. Dawson walked over to Joey, uncertain as to what he should say. He was her best friend, and he had no clue how he could help her. However, he was determined to try.  
  
"Joey? Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
Joey just stood in her state of shock. She sniffed back a tear. "Um, yeah. Um, do you know where Pacey is?" she asked.  
  
Dawson stood hurt. She didn't even want him around. "I don't know. He had a test this period I think. Listen, Joey, do you want to talk to me?" he asked.  
  
"Look, Dawson, I just want to talk to Pacey right now, okay?" she snapped.  
  
Dawson just stood in pain. His own best friend wouldn't even talk to him. "I get that you're upset right now, and I just want to help..." he started.  
  
"Dawson, I'm sorry, but you can't help me right now. I just want to talk to Pacey," she said as she fought back more tears.  
  
Dawson just nodded his head, giving up for now. "I told you, I think he has a test. Come by my place tonight if you want to talk," he said before turning away.  
  
Joey just watched Dawson walk away. She looked around. There were a few students mingling in the gym. Joey didn't even notice Jen walking up to her.  
  
"She's wrong, you know," Jen said.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Joey said quietly. "Um, look, do you know where Pacey is?"  
  
Jen nodded. "Yeah, he has a Math test right now," she said. She paused as she looked at Joey, who looked to be on the verge of tears. "But I think he can skip Gym to take his girlfriend home."  
  
"I don't need to go home, Jen," Joey said as she sniffed away another tear.  
  
"Listen, I want you to go to your locker, grab your stuff and go to Pacey's car. I'm going to tell him to meet you there as soon as this period is over, which will be about ten minutes," Jen ordered. However, Joey didn't move. "Let's go," she said as she grabbed Joey's arm and dragged her out of the gym.  
  
***** Ten minutes later... *****  
  
"Pacey!" Jen called out.  
  
Pacey turned around. "Hey, Lindley, what's up?" he asked.  
  
"Okay. There was a little incident during the debate today. Joey's upset and you need to go talk to her or take her home or something," Jen explained.  
  
"I'm on it. Thanks Jen," Pacey said as he ran off back to his locker to grab his car keys.  
  
***** The student parking lot... *****  
  
Joey was sitting down by the passenger door of the Witter wagoneer. She just stared at the ground in front of her, trying to hold back the tears that were still welling up in her eyes. She looked up momentarily to see Pacey running towards her. She tried to put on a brave face as he came closer to her.  
  
"Hey, Pace," she said, trying to smile.  
  
"What the hell happened at that debate?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Didn't Jen tell you?" Joey asked, praying that she wouldn't have to repeat those awful words.  
  
"No. What happened, Joey?" he asked quietly.  
  
Joey closed her eyes. "Um, we were talking about why we should be elected, and it was Abby's turn to answer the question, and she called me, uh," she said trying to choke back the tears. Pacey wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"What did she call you?" he asked.  
  
Joey couldn't fight back the tears anymore. "She called me a piece of All- American white trash, and that I'll only end up disgracing my family even more," she said as she cried.  
  
Pacey stood speechless. He didn't really know how to respond to someone saying such horrible things about the girl he loved. There was only one thing he could think of. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Joey buried her head into his shoulder as she started to cry harder. They held this embrace for a few minutes, until Joey had stopped crying a bit.  
  
"Pacey?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah?" he answered.  
  
"Um, I can't go back to class like this," she said. She looked up into his eyes for an answer.  
  
"Okay. Come on," he said as he opened her door and grabbed her bag. He walked around to the other side of the car. He buckled himself in and started the car. Before he backed out, he looked at Joey. She was staring absently out the window. She jumped a little as he placed his hand on hers. "It's gonna be okay," he said quietly.  
  
Joey gave him a small smile as she laced their fingers together. "I know," she answered. "It just hurt, that's all."  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't there to back you up," he said.  
  
"Pacey, it's not your fault you had a math test," Joey replied.  
  
"I know, I just," he started. "I just wish I could have been there for you."  
  
"Me too," she said quietly as she went back to gazing out her window. She looked out her window for a few minutes before she fell asleep. When she woke up, she noticed that she was back home, in her bed. She felt an arm around her waist. She turned around to see Pacey spooning her. His Hawaiian shirt was replaced with a wifebeater. He had one arm around her waist, and his other was stretched out above her head. Joey turned back around and snuggled closer to Pacey. This was the most intimate thing she had ever felt, and she planned to enjoy it to the fullest. She placed her hand on Pacey's, pulling him closer to her. She quickly fell back to sleep.  
  
***** One Hour Later... *****  
  
Pacey stirred in his sleep. He opened his eyes. It took him a minute for him to clue into where he was. He smiled as he felt his arm around Joey. She had fallen asleep in the car on the way back to her house. He didn't want to wake her, so he had carried her into her room. He was pretty tired as well, so he just unbuttoned his shirt, wrapped his arm around her waist and fell asleep. He looked over at the clock on her nightstand. It read 2:47. They had been sleeping for 3 hours now. He remembered that she had to work later on, so he decided it was time to wake her up. "Joey," he said softly.  
  
"Mmm," she groaned in her sleep.  
  
"Joey," he tried again as he ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
Joey's eyes slowly fluttered open. "What?"  
  
"Time to get up," he stated simply.  
  
Joey smiled as she turned around to face him. "Hey," she said quietly.  
  
"Hey," he replied with a smile, kissing her forehead. "Feeling better?"  
  
"Yes, and I think I have you to thank for that," she answered.  
  
Pacey smiled. "All I did was take you home," he said.  
  
"No, you did more than that. What Abby said really hurt. And right after she said them, the only person I knew that would make me feel better was you. You have this amazing ability to make me feel better about myself," Joey explained.  
  
Pacey cleared his throat. "I didn't do anything Joey. I just took you home."  
  
Joey took his chin in her hand, tilting his head so she could look into his eyes. "Look. Whenever you're around me, I feel better, happier. You don't really have to do anything to make me feel better except be around me. And you did that today," she said softly.  
  
Pacey smiled. "You too," he said.  
  
"What?" she asked, puzzled.  
  
"You make me feel better too," he answered. "To tell you the truth, I think this little nap with you was the best sleep I ever had."  
  
Joey smiled and blushed a little. "Same here," she admitted. She closed her eyes. "I could stay like this forever."  
  
"Well, we can stay like this for a bit longer," he said. "You have to go to work soon."  
  
"Ugh, I don't wanna go to work," she groaned.  
  
"You have to. Come on, get up, and I'll take you over," he said as he started to get up. He stretched his arms and yawned. When he opened his eyes, he saw Joey grinning at him with a bit of her tongue peeking through her teeth. "What?"  
  
"You," she stated.  
  
"What about me?" he asked.  
  
"You look really good," she said.  
  
"So do you," he replied with a grin.  
  
Joey blushed. "Pacey..." she started.  
  
"No. This is one compliment that you're going to accept. You should see how beautiful you look when you sleep," Pacey interrupted.  
  
"Pacey..." Joey started again.  
  
"Once again, no. When we got here earlier, I couldn't get over how beautiful you looked. I still can't," Pacey said. "Now, come on. You need to get to work. I expect you to be ready in 5 minutes," he said as he left Joey's room so she could change.  
  
Joey sighed. She didn't want to have to face Capeside today. She just wanted to be around Pacey. She laughed at herself. She never thought that she would become the kind of girl who always had to be around her boyfriend. However, she also never thought that she could feel so strongly about someone else. Pacey still gave her butterflies every time she saw him. Her thoughts shifted as she remembered that Pacey was waiting for her. She groaned as she grabbed her work clothes to change.  
  
***** Later on... *****  
  
Pacey was heading to the Icehouse after work. Joey had made him promise to go and walk her home. Not that he minded spending all this time with Joey. He just wanted to be around her right now, and he knew that she secretly wanted him around too. He shook his head as Abby's words came back to him in his head. He couldn't believe the nerve of that heartless bitch. She had no right to say that to Joey. But, he knew that Joey would be okay, and that's all that mattered to him. He arrived at the Icehouse and smiled as he saw Joey inside, wiping a counter. Joey looked up and smiled at him.  
  
"Hey. You're early," she said as he walked up to the counter.  
  
"Yeah, I got off work early. When are you gonna be done here?" he asked.  
  
"Well, Jack said he'd close up tonight, so I should be done in another ten or fifteen minutes. Do you want something?" she asked.  
  
"Um, yeah, can I get a cheeseburger?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, I'll just go back and put your order in," Joey said as she walked away.  
  
Pacey looked around at the other customers. The only people there were some guys he noticed from school: Nick Ryder, Kevin Walker and Mike Sanderson. He looked away, but he couldn't help overhearing their conversation.  
  
"So, did you guys hear what happened at the sophomore class debate today?" Kevin said.  
  
"Yeah, Abby Morgan called that Potter girl at the counter a piece of white trash," Mike said.  
  
"Finally, someone had the balls to put her in her place. I couldn't agree with her more. You're supposed to take the trash out, not vote it in," Nick said. At hearing this, Pacey got up.  
  
"What did you say about her?" Pacey said bitterly to the guy who insulted Joey.  
  
Nick got up from his seat. "There's no need to get upset Witter," he said. "Morgan was just telling the truth. I couldn't have said it better myself," he sneered.  
  
Pacey shook his head as he scrunched up his fist and punched Nick squarely in the eye. Mike and Kevin immediately got up to defend their friend, but Pacey was no match for them. He connected with Mike's jaw and Kevin's nose. Nick had gotten back up while Pacey was going after Mike and Kevin, so he didn't see Nick's fist flying towards his face. Nick hit him solidly in his left eye. Pacey took a step back, but he wouldn't back down. He threw himself on top of Nick, getting the upper hand on him. He punched Nick over and over, showing no mercy about what he said about Joey. He was so caught up in kicking Nicks' ass that he didn't notice Joey shouting at him to stop.  
  
"Pacey!" she finally yelled loud enough for Pacey to hear. Pacey looked back at Joey, who looked terrified. He pulled himself off Nick slowly. Mike and Kevin had already run off. Nick just got up and threw a mean glare at Pacey before hurrying out of there. As soon as he left, Joey gave Pacey a puzzled look.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" she asked. "Why were you fighting him?"  
  
Pacey looked to the ground. "He said something that I didn't agree with."  
  
Joey took a step towards him. "Pacey, what did he say?" she asked.  
  
Pacey looked up into her eyes. "He said that he agreed with what Abby called you. And since I don't agree with him, I decided to take matters into my own hands."  
  
Joey just stared intently at Pacey. He had just defended her honour. He had beaten up a bigger and older guy for her. She noticed the already swelling bruise on his eye. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up," she said as she took his hand and led him around behind the counter. She found some ice and immediately put it on Paceys' eye and on his swelling knuckles. They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one of them knowing what to say.  
  
"Thank you," Joey finally said, breaking the silence. "You really didn't have to beat him up."  
  
"Actually, Jo, I did. I had to kick his ass. Nobody's ever going to insult you in front of me and get away with it. Ever," he said strongly. "I care about you way too much to let anybody get away with putting you down."  
  
Joey smiled. "You're cute when you care," she said sweetly.  
  
"That is one of my top five qualities," he replied with a grin. He got up from his chair and kissed her. It wasn't too long before they were all over each other, making out furiously. However, they heard someone clear their throat. Joey looked around Pacey to see Jack grinning at them.  
  
"Horny much?" Jack asked. 


	10. High Risk Behaviour: The White Package

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, *~)TINK(~*, Vera, Annie and Pacey-Luver. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
"Jen, I'm bored," Joey whined as she tossed her magazine aside. "You said girls night was gonna be fun."  
  
"Hang on, I'm learning the 459 ways to look great in only ten minutes," Jen replied from behind her magazine.  
  
Joey snatched Jen's magazine away from her. "I wanna do something besides read teen magazines," she complained.  
  
"Fine! What do you want to do?" Jen asked.  
  
"I don't know," Joey answered.  
  
"I know! Let's play truth!" Jen suggested.  
  
"Don't you mean truth or dare?" Joey corrected.  
  
"No, I mean just plain old truth where we reveal secrets to each other. Come on, it'll be a good female bonding experience," Jen said.  
  
Joey thought about it for a minute, but gave in. "Alright," she said.  
  
Jen smiled. "Okay. Joey, how far have you gone with Pacey?" she asked.  
  
Joey immediately began to blush. "Jen!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What else did you think I was going to ask? Come on Joey, give me details!" Jen said.  
  
"No!" Joey replied.  
  
"Why not?" Jen asked.  
  
"Because what me and Pacey do is private, okay? It's not like I'm going to ask you how far you've gone with Jack!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
"Okay. If I tell you about me and Jack, will you tell me about you and Pacey?" Jen bargained.  
  
Joey realized that there was no getting around this situation, so she gave up. "Fine," she stated.  
  
"Okay. Jack and I haven't gotten past second. Yet," Jen said.  
  
"What do you mean by yet?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well, we've been getting more physical lately. I think it's going to happen soon," Jen answered.  
  
"Already?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah. I was holding back at first, but it just seems right with Jack. So, if the opportunity would arise in the near future, I would want to," Jen replied. "Now. You and Pacey."  
  
"We haven't gone all that far," Joey said.  
  
"As in?" Jen prompted.  
  
"We haven't gone past second either," Joey said as she started to blush a bit again.  
  
"Do you think it's going to happen soon?" Jen asked.  
  
Joey thought for a minute. "I'm not sure. I mean, I love Pacey, but I don't think I'm ready just yet."  
  
Jen nodded her head. "I understand."  
  
"What if he becomes impatient?" Joey asked.  
  
"Joey, Pacey's in love with you. He'll wait for as long as it takes," Jen responded.  
  
"What if I become impatient?" Joey asked.  
  
Jen made a face. "What do you mean?"  
  
Joey sighed. "I want to do it, but I know I'm not ready yet. I just don't know why I'm not ready. Pacey and I have been dating for almost four months now, and I just think that I should be ready by now, you know?"  
  
Jen nodded. "But, if you're not ready, then you're not ready. And Pacey will understand that. Listen, it sounds like you're worried that you'll mess up your relationship by waiting until you're ready to have sex. And I think you should talk to Pacey about it. He's the only one who can re- assure you. Now, it's your turn to ask me a question!"  
  
***** The next day... *****  
  
Pacey whistled as he walked down the street, holding a small bag in his hand. He surveyed the sidewalks for a familiar face. He quickly noticed Dawson heading up to Screenplay. "Dawson!" he called out.  
  
Dawson stopped walking and turned around and saw Pacey jogging over towards him. "Hey!" he responded.  
  
"I thought you didn't have to work today," Pacey said.  
  
"Aaron called in sick," Dawson explained. "Why were you at the drug store?" he asked as he noticed the bag that Pacey was carrying.  
  
"Oh, um, I just had to pick up a prescription for my mom," Pacey stumbled. He clenched the bag tighter, hoping that Dawson would drop the subject.  
  
"Oh. Cool, well, I've gotta go, so I'll talk to you later," Dawson said before he headed off to Screenplay. Pacey let out a sigh of relief. There was no prescription in the bag. Instead, there was a box of Trojans. He wanted to be prepared for when the time came with Joey, so he had decided to stock up on some goodies. He started to think of the perfect hiding spot for the condoms. He didn't want Joey to feel pressured into having sex with him just because he bought condoms. Lost in his train of thought, he didn't notice Jack walking up the sidewalk.  
  
"Whoa!" Jack said as he and Pacey collided. "You okay?" he asked as he reached down to help Pacey up.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine man," Pacey said as he brushed himself off. He looked for his bag, and saw it by Jack's foot. However, the condoms had fallen out.  
  
"Hmm, 'Ribbed For Her Pleasure'?" Jack asked as he raised an eyebrow.  
  
Pacey felt his face turn a little red. "Um, yeah," he muttered as he snatched the box away from Jack and placed it back inside the bag.  
  
"Look, it's okay man, it's not like I'm going to go run and tell Joey or something," Jack said.  
  
"I know, it's just that I don't want her thinking that just because I bought condoms, that means that she has to sleep with me," Pacey replied. "I don't want to send her the wrong signal because I really love her."  
  
"Aww," Jack teased.  
  
Pacey punched his arm softly. "See you man," he said with a chuckle as he took off.  
  
***** Later on that night... *****  
  
"Hey Pace," Joey said as she walked up the steps to the Witter home, where Pacey was outside working on his truck.  
  
Pacey looked up. He hadn't been expecting Joey for another half hour. "Hi," he said walking over to her and kissing her. "Wasn't expecting you for awhile."  
  
"Alex was being a nightmare, so I thought I'd get out of the house for awhile," Joey replied. "Sorry that I came early."  
  
"I'm not complaining," Pacey said with a grin. "You look fantastic."  
  
"Thank you," she said as she blushed.  
  
"Okay, you wanna come in? I'm gonna need to shower," Pacey said.  
  
"Um, sure. Is anybody home?" she asked as she followed Pacey into his house.  
  
"No, just me," he answered. "Care to join me?" he asked, wiggling an eyebrow.  
  
Joey smiled. "Sure!" she exclaimed.  
  
Pacey's eyes grew wide. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
Joey laughed. "I'm kidding. Go on, I'll just sit and watch some tv."  
  
"Okay. Give me five minutes," Pacey said as he walked into the bathroom. Joey sat down on the couch. She turned on the tv, flipped through a few channels, and then turned the tv off. There wasn't anything good on anyway. She got up to head into the kitchen for a glass of water. She went to reach for a glass from the cupboard, but she accidentally hit a small white paper bag with her arm. She bent down to pick up the bag. She stopped midway. The contents of the bag had fallen out onto the floor. Joey was a little stunned when she saw a small box of condoms on the floor before her. She picked up the small box, and stood back up, reading the writing on the box. 'Ribbed for her Pleasure?' she thought to herself.  
  
"Alright, I'm ready to go..." Pacey said as he walked into the kitchen. "Before you say anything Jo..."  
  
"Pacey, how long have you had these for?" she interrupted.  
  
"I bought them this morning," he answered. "Let me explain..."  
  
"There isn't anything to explain here Pace. You bought condoms, what's the big deal?" she asked, shrugging off his explanation.  
  
"Can we at least talk about this Joey?" Pacey tried.  
  
"What's to talk about?" she asked.  
  
"Look, I know we haven't talked about sex since that study session a few months ago. Why don't we at least talk about it?" he asked.  
  
Joey nodded. "Okay," she said.  
  
Pacey took a deep breath. "I don't want you to think that I'm becoming impatient with you, Joey. I told you already that I was willing to wait, and I still am willing to wait. You know that right?"  
  
Joey nodded. "Yeah," she replied.  
  
"I also don't want you to think that now that I've bought condoms, that means we have to rush into something. We've got all the time in the world," Pacey continued.  
  
"I know, Pacey, it's just," she started, her eyes already filling up with tears. "What if I'm not worth the wait?"  
  
Pacey walked over to Joey. "Jo, how can you honestly think that?"  
  
"Because I'm not as experienced as you are, okay!" Joey spat out.  
  
Pacey shook his head. "How can you think that your inexperience makes you any less desirable to me? Listen, Joey, I know that if and when we decide to have sex, it's going to be amazing. I'm not concerned about that."  
  
Joey looked into his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. "Then what are you concerned about?"  
  
"I'm concerned about what you're thinking," Pacey said.  
  
"What?" Joey asked confused.  
  
"I don't want you to think that you have to rush into sex. When you're ready, you'll know. I don't want you to think that you're going to lose me because we haven't had sex yet. I'm not going anywhere," Pacey answered. "And I don't want you to think that you're going to disappoint me, sexually speaking. Joey, you're probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. You never cease to amaze me. You could never disappoint me in any way, shape or form. It's just not possible," he finished. Joey smiled and looked at the ground. Pacey kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
"Wow, Pacey," Joey said.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"I think for the first time in my life, I'm speechless," Joey replied. She studied Pacey's face as he chuckled. "I love you," she said.  
  
Pacey smiled. "I love you too," he replied as he leaned in to kiss her softly. "Come on, Miss Potter, your chariot awaits," he said. They walked off hand in hand, both falling more in love with each other by the minute.  
  
***** Later on that same evening... *****  
  
Dawson was walking up the steps to the Witter home. He had come to give Pacey his math textbook that he had forgotten the other night when he had dropped by. He rang the doorbell. There was no answer. He rang the doorbell again. He stepped back and looked at the house. There were no lights on, so he figured that nobody was home. He tried the door and found it to be unlocked. He let himself in, deciding to leave the book in his kitchen. He flicked on the light switch and placed the book on the counter. He noticed a small white package on the counter, half open. Curiosity got the best of him, and he snuck a peek inside. His jaw fell open as he saw the condoms. Flustered, he dropped the bag and stormed out of the house. 


	11. Sex She Wrote: Pain In The Rain

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, *~)TINK(~*, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, and SmOgLoViNg. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Comments: I can't believe that I'm already at Chapter 11, the official half- way mark! Thanks to everyone who's read this story so far. Please keep reading and reviewing, it always makes my day to see a review in my inbox! And, I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've had a serious case of writer's block and a lack of time to write.  
  
Dawson couldn't believe that he had just found condoms at Pacey's. What could it mean? Were Pacey and Joey really having sex? What if Pacey was just using Joey for sex? He tried to think of some way to ask them without being too nosy. Dawson looked up at the stars. He couldn't hide the twinge of jealousy he was feeling right now. Joey and Pacey had each other, as did Jack and Jen. Even Andie was semi-dating someone. That left him as the odd one out. As he approached his house, he switched his thoughts back to how to get Pacey and Joey to confess.  
  
***** The next day at school... *****  
  
"Hey Pacey, wait up!" Dawson called out.  
  
Pacey turned around to see Dawson jogging towards him. He smiled. "Hey, Dawson, how's it going?"  
  
"Good, good. You?" Dawson asked back.  
  
"I'm doing great. Oh, thanks for bringing back my math book. I kinda needed it for first period," Pacey thanked.  
  
"No problem. Um, would you mind stopping by my house after school?" Dawson asked, hoping that Pacey would accept.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I'll be over at around 4, okay?" Pacey answered.  
  
"Great. I'll see you then," Dawson said as he walked over to his next class. He was actually very happy that Pacey had accepted his invitation. He was going to figure out exactly what was going on between Pacey and Joey.  
  
***** 4:00 p.m. at Dawson's House *****  
  
Pacey strolled up to the Leery's front door. He opened up the screen door and then rang the doorbell, just as he had done numerous times before. He looked down at his shoes and shifted his weight from foot to foot. He suddenly heard footsteps coming to the door. He looked up and saw Dawson opening the door. "Hey, man," Pacey said as he entered the Leery house.  
  
"Hey, thanks for stopping by," Dawson said as he led Pacey into the kitchen.  
  
"No problem. So, why did you need to see me?" Pacey asked as he took a seat at the stool stationed by the island in the kitchen.  
  
Dawson paused as he played around with the items in the fridge. He really didn't know where to start. "Uh, look Pacey," he stumbled.  
  
Pacey looked at Dawson puzzled. "What is it?" he asked.  
  
"I don't really know how to approach the subject, Pace," Dawson replied.  
  
"Listen, you can talk to me about anything," Pacey said. "Just give it a shot."  
  
Dawson turned around to face Pacey. He took a deep breath. "Are you having sex with Joey?" he blurted out.  
  
Pacey stared at Dawson with a confused look on his face. "Did you just ask me..." he started.  
  
"Yes, I just asked you flat out if you're having sex with Joey. Well, are you?" Dawson repeated.  
  
Pacey couldn't believe it. How could Dawson even ask that? "I'm still in the process of figuring out how the hell you think you have the right to ask that," Pacey replied.  
  
"Are you even gonna answer me?" Dawson demanded once again.  
  
"I don't need to!" Pacey exclaimed. "What Joey and I do alone is our business, and nobody else's!"  
  
"So you two have," Dawson mumbled.  
  
"What?" Pacey said with fire in his eyes.  
  
"You said what you and Joey do alone is your business. So, you're saying that you two are sleeping together," Dawson said.  
  
Pacey stood up from his chair. "That's not what I said. Listen, Dawson, I don't have to tell you anything. My sex life is not open for discussion! Now if you'll excuse me, I should be going," he said as he started to walk away.  
  
"Pace..." Dawson began.  
  
"I'll talk to you later Dawson," Pacey said as he stormed out the door.  
  
***** Later on that same evening... *****  
  
Pacey was lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He was still fuming over what had happened earlier with Dawson. How could he honestly ask him that? And, more importantly, why did it make such a difference to him whether or not he and Joey were having sex? These questions repeated over and over in his head until he was brought back down to Earth by the roar of his father downstairs.  
  
"Pacey! Phone!" his father barked out. Pacey sighed as he walked out of his room to grab the portable phone.  
  
"Hello?" he said as he rubbed his forehead.  
  
"Hey," Joey said happily on the other line.  
  
"Hi, how's it going?" Pacey replied.  
  
"Good. Look, Pacey, I was just talking to Dawson a few minutes ago," Joey started.  
  
Pacey sighed into the phone. "What did he say?" he asked.  
  
"Well, he told me that I should ask you about it. So, Pacey, what happened over at Dawson's?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing," Pacey lied.  
  
"Pacey, come on, I know you're lying to me," Joey said.  
  
Pacey sighed. "He asked me if we have had sex yet," he remarked bluntly. There was a moment of silence on the other line. "Jo?"  
  
"What did you tell him?" she asked nervously.  
  
Pacey paused for a minute. "Do you even have to ask me that?" he asked hastily.  
  
"What do you mean?" Joey asked confused.  
  
"It just sounds like you're doubting me. Like you expect me to lie to Dawson," Pacey replied hurt.  
  
"Pace..." Joe started.  
  
"No, let me finish. I can't believe you'd think that I would lie about that. I thought you trusted me a bit more than that!" exclaimed Pacey.  
  
"That's not what I meant!" Joey exclaimed.  
  
Pacey opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by the sound of his father stomping upstairs.  
  
"Pacey! Get off the phone!" he yelled, his speech a little slurred from being drunk.  
  
Pacey cringed at his father's drunken voice. He knew he was in for some kind of drunken lecture. "Look, Joey, I have to go..." he started before his father charged into his room. He dropped the phone out of fear.  
  
"I told you to get off the phone! Who the hell are you talking to!" demanded his father.  
  
"I'm just talking to Joey; I was about to get off. Just calm down," Pacey pleaded.  
  
"I am calm! Now hang up on that trailer trash! I have a, a business call to make," his father said with a chuckle at his pathetic joke.  
  
Pacey looked up at his father. Even if he was angry at Joey, even if his father was drunk, nobody talked to the woman he loved that way. "Don't talk about Joey that way!" he shouted.  
  
John Witter laughed. "Come on, Pacey, we all know that girl doesn't love you! She'll just pass you up for someone better. Why would she want to stay with a loser like you?" he said. Pacey had had enough. He threw himself towards his father. He made a fist and hit his father in the nose. His father then retaliated. He wheeled and punched Pacey right back in his right eye. With his other hand, he knocked Pacey down with a few blows to the ribs. "You have ten minutes to get yourself the hell out of my house!" ordered his father as he left Pacey's room and slammed the door.  
  
"Pacey?" a small voice called out.  
  
Pacey looked around him, searching for that familiar voice. He noticed the telephone was still off the hook. He reached over and picked it up. "Joey?" he said, his voice quivering.  
  
"Oh my god, are you okay?" Joey said, trying not to break down into tears.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Look, if I don't get off the phone now, he's gonna come back, so I guess I'll talk to you later," Pacey replied, trying to be strong.  
  
"Where are you going to go?" Joey inquired.  
  
"I don't know; I just can't stay here right now. I need to go out and think," Pacey answered.  
  
"About what?" Joey asked.  
  
"You seem to forgotten what we were just talking about," Pacey said.  
  
"Look, Pacey, I didn't mean that. If you come over here, I can explain. But right now, I want to make sure that you're alright," Joey said as she started to cry.  
  
Pacey paused. "Alright, I'll be over in a few minutes. Okay?" he said.  
  
"Okay. I love you Pacey," Joey said.  
  
"I love you too," Pacey said as he hung up the phone. He looked around his room and found a duffel bag. He opened up his drawers and threw some clothes into the bag. He grabbed a few other things and then stormed out of his house.  
  
***** Joey's house *****  
  
Joey was waiting impatiently for Pacey to arrive. She was sitting outside her house on the porch swing. She looked up nervously to the sky as it started to rain. Pacey still wasn't there yet. She waited for ten minutes out in the rain before she saw his tall frame walking towards her house. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She started running towards him. As she got closer to him, she noticed that he was holding his chest and wincing in pain. However, he hadn't noticed her running towards him yet.  
  
"Pacey!" Joey cried out.  
  
Pacey looked up to see Joey sprinting towards him. He tried to pick up his pace, but it hurt too much to try and run. So, he decided to just try and walk faster. It took a few minutes but finally they had reached each other.  
  
"Pace, are you ok?" Joey asked, placing one of her hands on his face.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Pacey lied, trying to hide the pain in his face from the aching in his ribs. He took a good look at her. Her chocolate- brown hair was wet from the rain, and her blue sweater and jeans were starting to get drenched. However, it was her face that really captivated him. She was looking intently at his face, her fingers rubbing his face gently. She didn't even know that he was staring at her. When she finally looked into his eyes, he knew that their argument didn't mean anything. In her eyes, he saw more concern, passion, and love than he ever thought possible. His lips quickly turned into a smile as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm okay now, Joey," he whispered softly.  
  
Joey gave him a half-smile. "You can still be upset over what happened with Dawson. I don't blame you for it," she said.  
  
"It's okay. I just blew it out of proportion. I was just so angry at Dawson that I took it out on you. You didn't deserve that, and I'm really sorry about the stuff I said about you not trusting me. I was just upset, and it came out wrong. I can't even begin to tell you how bad I'm feeling about that right now," he apologized.  
  
"How come you're the one apologizing? You didn't do anything irrational. Pacey, I was just feeling insecure. I should have had a little more faith in you than that. And I want, no, I need you to know that I trust you more than anything. Okay?" she replied.  
  
"Okay," Pacey said with a smile. However, his smile quickly faded as he felt another spasm of pain in his chest.  
  
Joey looked at Pacey with concern as he started to hunch over. "We need to get you inside. Come on," she said as she turned to leave.  
  
"Wait, Jo," Pacey said as he stopped her.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Have you ever been kissed in the rain?" Pacey said with a grin. Before Joey could answer him, he pulled her close and kissed her with everything he had before he had to pull away because of the pain in his chest.  
  
Joey smiled as she took Pacey by the hand. "I'm serious Pace. We need to get you inside before you get pneumonia or something."  
  
"Come on Joey..." Pacey said as he tried to pull her close again.  
  
"Pacey. I promise I'm all yours once we clean you up and settle you in," Joey bargained.  
  
"Okay, Potter, you win this time," Pacey said as he started walking back towards Joey's house.  
  
"How long have you been out in the rain for?" Joey asked in a serious tone.  
  
Pacey shrugged. "Twenty minutes maybe. Could have been longer, I'm not too sure," he answered honestly.  
  
"Aren't you freezing?" Joey asked as she noticed Pacey's attire. He was wearing a light coat with just a Hawaiian shirt on underneath.  
  
"Kinda," Pacey admitted.  
  
"Pacey, if I ask you something really serious, do you promise you'll tell me the absolute truth?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah, of course," Pacey replied.  
  
Joey took a deep breath. "How long has this been going on?" she asked.  
  
Pacey sighed. "Beginning of the year," he answered. The look on Joey's face urged him on. "After the whole Tamara incident and failing grades, he's been on my case. And, a few months ago, he got really drunk one night, I came home late. He took exception to it, and he just smacked me around a little," he said.  
  
"Pace..." Joey started.  
  
"No, Joey, it's okay. I'm fine. He's drunk when he does it; it's no big deal," Pacey tried.  
  
"Actually it is a big deal! What if this happens again?" Joey asked.  
  
"I haven't thought that far ahead," Pacey said as he started climbing the steps up to Joey's house. Before Joey could continue, Bessie came outside.  
  
"Pacey Witter! Get inside before you get sick!" Bessie said sternly. She pulled Pacey and Joey into the house. "Joey, I want you to dry off, and Pacey, I want you to go have a shower. Now!" she ordered. Joey smiled as she led Pacey down the hallway to drop his bag off in her room.  
  
"You know Potter, you could always shower with me if you want," Pacey teased.  
  
"In your dreams Witter," Joey replied as Pacey set his bag down on the floor. "Do you need some clothes?"  
  
"No, I got some stuff in my bag I can use," Pacey said as he took his coat off. He looked up at Joey and noticed her look of concern. "Really, I'm fine Joey. What can I do to show you that I'm okay?" he asked.  
  
Joey bit on her lower lip. "I want you to show me your chest," she answered.  
  
Pacey paused for a minute. He reluctantly took off his Hawaiian shirt, followed by his wife beater. He grimaced as he saw Joey put her hand to her mouth in disbelief. His chest was covered with black looking welts. There were a few red ones too. He watched as Joey turned her head. "They're not as bad as they look..." he started, but he was interrupted by Bessie walking into the room.  
  
"Pacey, stop hitting on my sister and get your ass into the shower," she said playfully.  
  
"Yes ma'am," Pacey said, never taking his eye off of Joey as he left the room.  
  
***** After Pacey's shower... *****  
  
Pacey stepped out of the shower several minutes later. He walked out of the bathroom in a towel, having forgotten his clothes in his bag. He walked in to Joey's room to find her in pink flannel pajama pants and a short red t- shirt. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, and she was reading a book on her bed. He stood in awe for a moment, taking in her beauty. It was a few moments before she noticed his presence.  
  
"Pacey, why are you staring at me?" she asked.  
  
"Because you're beautiful," he replied.  
  
Joey blushed, half because of what Pacey said, and half because she couldn't help but to think about what his towel was covering. "I love the towel Pacey. Good to know that the loincloth is coming back," she joked.  
  
"Come on Potter, you know you love it," he teased as he walked over to grab his bag. He turned to see Joey staring intently at him. "Trying to get a glimpse of me changing Potter?" he asked.  
  
Joey quickly looked away, blushing even harder. "No," she said shyly.  
  
Pacey noticed her discomfort. "I'll just head into the bathroom," he said.  
  
"It's okay Pacey. I'll just look away until you get your boxers on," she explained.  
  
"You just want a sneak peek at the goods," Pacey said as he motioned for her to look away. He quickly pulled out a pair of boxers and changed into them. "You're good now," he said. He went back into the bag and pulled out another wifebeater. Once he was done changing, he settled onto her bed and looked at the ceiling.  
  
"Pace?" Joey said from her book.  
  
"Yeah?" Pacey said looking over at her.  
  
"There's some ice over there, for your eye, if you want it," Joey finished.  
  
"Thanks," he said as he walked up to get it. "Bessie won't mind if I spend the night will she?" he asked.  
  
Joey looked up from her book. "Of course not. In fact, she thinks it would be a good idea if you stayed here for a few days," she explained.  
  
"Why? Did you tell her?" he asked.  
  
"No. I just told her that you need some time away from your house, and she said you could spend a few days here if you want," she answered.  
  
"Would you mind it if I stayed here for awhile?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Pace, if it makes any difference in your decision, um, I would really like it if you were to stay here for a few days," Joey said quietly.  
  
Pacey walked back over to the bed and sat down facing her. "It's not like I was gonna leave anyways," he said.  
  
Joey set her book down on her nightstand. "Why wouldn't you tell me about what's been going on with your dad?" she asked.  
  
Pacey shrugged. "It's not exactly the easiest thing to tell someone. And, I don't want you to worry about me Jo. I'm fine," he lied as he tried to hide the pain that was rising in his stomach.  
  
Joey noticed the discomfort in his face. "Do you think something's broken?" she asked as she lifted his wifebeater over his shoulders.  
  
"No, I'm just a little sore," Pacey said.  
  
Joey looked down at the welts on his stomach. She touched the bruises softly, being careful not to hurt him. "I don't think you should go home," she said quietly.  
  
"Joey, you're being over-dramatic. I just need to stay away for a couple of days and let him cool off," Pacey reasoned.  
  
Joey sniffed away the tears she knew were coming. "I just don't want to see you get hurt," she said softly.  
  
Pacey reached up and wiped away a loose tear. "I'm never gonna hurt if you're by my side," he assured her.  
  
Joey smiled as she placed a hand on top of Pacey's. "You know, we haven't even addressed our conversation from earlier."  
  
Pacey sighed. "Let's talk about everything else tomorrow. I just want to go to sleep," he said as he struggled to sit up. "I'm gonna go and set up the couch."  
  
Joey looked up at him sternly. "You're not going anywhere."  
  
"Jo, Bessie would totally lose it," Pacey tried.  
  
"I don't care," she said as she shut the door. She turned around and took Pacey by the hand. She walked over to the bed, slowly pulled back the covers and got underneath them. She shook her head as Pacey tried to put his arm around her waist. "I don't want you sleeping on your side. It'll hurt your stomach too much."  
  
"I'm fine, Joey," Pacey said as he settled in behind her, putting his arm around her waist despite what she had said.  
  
Joey smiled as she laced her fingers through his. "I love you," she said softly.  
  
"I love you too," he replied, placing a light kiss on the back of her head. With that, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. It took Joey awhile, but she finally fell asleep too.  
  
***** Awhile later... *****  
  
Bessie was walking by Joey's room when she noticed that the light was out and that the door was shut. Assuming the worst, she burst in immediately. However, she was surprised to see Pacey and Joey just lying there, fully clothed, asleep. 'They look so cute together,' she thought to herself as she started to walk away. She shut the door and let them sleep. 


	12. Uncharted Waters: The Fishing Trip And G...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, *~)TINK(~*, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, and SmOgLoViNg. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Author's Note: A change in rating for this chapter. If you don't like to read smut, then skip the last little bit. So, this chapter is NC-17 for some sexual content. You have been warned. ************************************************************************  
  
"Pacey J. Witter, you better get your ass out of my sister's room this instant!" screeched Bessie at the top of her lungs.  
  
Pacey's eyes flew open. It took him a second to register as to where he was. He noticed Joey's sleeping form in front of him. He smiled as he recalled the make-out session they had had last night. He did actually try to leave her room, but was it his fault that with one look that Joey could makes all of his resistance crumble? He scratched his head as he detached his arm from Joey and walked into the Potter's kitchen. "Morning, Bessie," he said with a yawn as he opened the refrigerator.  
  
"Pacey, I told you to stay out of Joey's room at night! Do you just choose to ignore me?" she asked.  
  
"Well, Bess, it's a funny story..." he started.  
  
"I don't want to hear it. You two were allowed to have that first night together. But then we agreed that if you were going to stay here temporarily, you would take the couch. Oh, and also with the temporary residence, I said temporary, not permanent. You need to head home some time," Bessie complained.  
  
Pacey cringed at her words. It had been about two weeks since he had been staying at Joey's. He hadn't called home, and he hadn't found other arrangements. His parents did know where he was though- he had run into Doug the day after the incident took place and had him give the news to their parents. "I know," he agreed.  
  
"I mean, if you need another few days, why don't you head over to Dawson's house?" Bessie suggested.  
  
Once again, Pacey cringed at her words. He had also avoided Dawson at all costs. He didn't want to have to talk to him about what had happened that night. He shrugged and looked over at Bessie. "Give me another day or two and I'll find somewhere else to stay for awhile," he reasoned.  
  
Bessie sighed. "Fine. You should be glad that I like you a bit though. I don't just let in any freeloader who stops by," she teased.  
  
Pacey pouted. "Not even the one who happens to be dating her little sister?" he asked.  
  
"Don't go thinking that just because you're Joey's boyfriend that you're gonna get special privileges," Bessie replied.  
  
"Well, I've had the opportunity to deal with you for the last two weeks, so I think I'm all privileged out," Pacey shot back. He grinned as Bessie rolled her eyes and left the kitchen. He opened up a carton of milk and drank some of it. He heard someone coughing behind him. "Give me a break..." he started, expecting Bessie. He smiled at Joey who was walking over to him, her eyes half closed still.  
  
"No drinking straight from the carton," Joey said, snatching it from his hands and putting it back into the fridge.  
  
"Come on Jo..." he started before being cut off by Joey kissing him. He moaned as Joey plunged her tongue into his mouth. He placed his arms around her waist and lifted her up slightly from the ground. Her hands roamed around his back. He quickly whipped her around so that she was sitting on the counter. She wrapped her legs around him and moved her hands from his back to his hair. However, before either of them could continue, they were interrupted by the screech of Bessie's voice.  
  
"Get your hands off my sister and get your ass into the shower!" she commanded. Pacey turned around sheepishly and slumped his way to the shower. Bessie gave Joey a cold look. "I expect a little more self-control in the future Joey!"  
  
Joey was blushing hard. "I'll keep that in mind," she said as she walked over to the refrigerator.  
  
Bessie sighed as she changed the subject. "I talked to Doug yesterday," she informed her.  
  
Joey spun around quickly. "What did he want?" she inquired.  
  
"He wants Pacey to go on a fishing trip with his dad, Dawson and Mitch, and maybe there was something about Jack tagging along, I'm not too sure," Bessie replied.  
  
Joey bit on her bottom lip. "Do you think he should go?" she asked.  
  
"Doug thinks it would be good for them to reconcile. Or if they don't, it'll give Pacey a chance to clear his head a bit," Bessie answered.  
  
Joey nodded. "I just don't think he wants to go."  
  
"Well, you've got a day to convince him," Bessie stated. "They're leaving at 6 a.m. sharp tomorrow."  
  
Joey's jaw dropped. "That's a challenge," she said as she started to walk off.  
  
Bessie stopped her. "He'll go if you talk to him. I swear, you've got him whipped," she teased. Joey just smirked at her and walked back towards her room.  
  
***** Later on after school... *****  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Pacey asked as he studied Joey's face.  
  
Joey looked over at him. "Nothing," she said quietly as she shut her locker.  
  
"I don't believe you. Joey Potter, you are without a doubt lying to me," he said as he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. "What do you want to tell me?" he asked before he softly kissed her hand.  
  
Joey sighed. "Well, I was talking to Bessie this morning and she said that she talked to Doug who talked to your dad and he said that he wanted to go on a fishing trip with you," Joey rambled all in one breath.  
  
Pacey paused. "Who wants to take me fishing?" he asked.  
  
"Your dad," Joey said.  
  
"Ha! That's a good one Jo," Pacey said, hoping that she was just kidding. However, the honest look on her face told him that she was telling the absolute truth. "I don't want to," he said solemnly.  
  
"Pace, I don't think you have a choice here," Joey replied.  
  
"I do too. I don't have to go if I don't want to," Pacey spat out. They walked in silence for a few minutes, leaving the school grounds without a word.  
  
"Don't you think that you need to talk to him?" she asked.  
  
"I don't want to talk to him," Pacey answered.  
  
"Why not? Maybe he wants to patch things up," Joey said.  
  
"Maybe. But what about next time he gets drunk?" Pacey asked. "I don't want to go home."  
  
"You're going to have to go home eventually," Joey said.  
  
"I don't want to," Pacey replied.  
  
"Well, where do you want to go?" Joey asked.  
  
"I want to stay with you," he said. "But I know I can't stay forever. You'd get sick of me," he teased.  
  
Joey smiled. "That's not possible. I could never get sick of you."  
  
Pacey grinned. "Really?"  
  
Joey nodded. "But, Bessie's not gonna let you stay forever. Maybe you should just go and see what he wants. And, let's not forget about Dawson either."  
  
Pacey groaned. "He's gonna be there too?" he asked.  
  
"Yep. You, your dad, Mitch, Dawson and Jack," Joey said.  
  
"I don't want to go Joey," Pacey pleaded.  
  
"I know Pacey, but you have to," Joey replied.  
  
"Says who?" he argued.  
  
"Me," she responded simply.  
  
Pacey looked over at her. He hated to admit it, but he was whipped. And Joey knew she had him whipped. He decided that there was no point in arguing it any further. "Fine. But you have to properly send me off to sea," he joked.  
  
Joey thought about what he had said. "If you're a good boy on the trip, and if you talk to both Dawson and your father, I'll gladly give you a proper welcome back," she replied seriously.  
  
Pacey chuckled, not believing her. "Sure," he said.  
  
Joey grinned, leaving it at that. She would just have to surprise him when he got back.  
  
***** The next morning... *****  
  
"You know, maybe something'll break and you'll need a man to fix it," Pacey pleaded, desperately trying to get out of the fishing trip.  
  
"Nice try," Joey said as they reached the pier. "It's not like I want to be away from you Pace, but you don't have any options."  
  
"I know," he replied. "I'm not promising you anything though."  
  
"I don't care, just as long as you put in an effort," Joey said.  
  
Before Pacey could respond, he heard his name being called. "Pacey! Say goodbye to your girlfriend and get your ass on the boat!" his father yelled.  
  
Pacey nodded. "Duty calls," he said as he leant in to give Joey a hug. "I love you," he said as he breathed in her scent.  
  
"I love you too," she said before pulling away to see his worried face. She kissed him softly. "It's gonna be alright Pace," she said.  
  
Pacey just nodded and kissed her softly, just as she had done. "I'll see you tomorrow night," he said. He turned to see Dawson and Mitch walking down the pier.  
  
"Hi Joey, hey Pace," Dawson said.  
  
"Hi Dawson," Joey replied. Pacey just stood there. "Well, I should get going. You boys have a good time."  
  
"We will. See you later," Dawson said as he stepped onto the boat.  
  
Joey turned to Pacey. "That was your effort?" she asked. When she saw Pacey sigh and struggle for an explanation, she shrugged it off. "I'm sorry. Keep out of trouble, okay?" she said.  
  
Pacey smiled. "I will," he said. "Bye," he said, squeezing her hand one last time before getting on the boat.  
  
***** After they've set sail... *****  
  
Pacey was gazing out onto the water. No fish yet. He had fucked up a couple of times though, which brought some choice words from his father. He had been avoiding Dawson all day. He wasn't in the mood to talk to either of them. He was lost in his thoughts when he heard somebody walking up behind him.  
  
"Hey," the familiar voice said.  
  
Pacey kept his gaze on the water. "Dawson," he stated simply.  
  
"Were you planning on avoiding me all weekend?" he asked.  
  
"You know what, I actually was contemplating it," Pacey replied.  
  
"We need to talk about what happened the other week," Dawson tried.  
  
"I don't want to," Pacey said.  
  
"Please, Pacey?" Dawson asked.  
  
Pacey looked over at him. He remembered what Joey had told him about making an effort. "Fine," he said.  
  
"Look, I know what I said was way out of line. I was just shocked. That's all it was, shock. I know that your romantic life with Joey is private, it's just weird," Dawson began.  
  
"Weird?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Yeah. I can't really explain it. It was just weird. And I don't blame you for being upset with me, cause I would be too if you asked me that same thing," Dawson answered.  
  
Pacey nodded. "Well, I'm sorry that I've been holding a bit of a grudge against you. I wasn't being fair."  
  
Dawson shook his head. "I don't blame you for that. I just want you to know that I'm sorry," he said.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Friends?" he asked, extending his hand.  
  
Dawson smiled as he shook Pacey's hand. "Till death," he replied.  
  
"Pacey! Where the hell did you go?" Pacey's dad yelled.  
  
"Down here dad," he said.  
  
"Where's the other fishing pole?" he yelled.  
  
"Other side," Pacey replied.  
  
"Why aren't they on this side, where they should be?" he asked.  
  
"It doesn't matter what side the poles are on," Pacey argued.  
  
"God, this is exactly why I don't give you any extra duties! You can't even do the simplest tasks!" his father complained. "Go get the poles!"  
  
Pacey looked down at the ground. "Yes sir," he said. Talking to Dawson was easy. Talking to his father was another matter.  
  
***** That night... *****  
  
Pacey was sitting alone at the bar counter. He was sipping a coke, not willing to try and ask for something a little more stiff. He looked at the clock on the wall. 11:18. Joey was probably asleep by now. He looked around the bar. Dawson and Mitch had already left, both being tired from the trip. Jack was on the phone with Andie, checking in on their mom. The only other person in the bar was his dad. He was sitting down, chugging back his sixth beer.  
  
"Pacey!" his father barked out.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked.  
  
"C'mere, we need to talk," his father slurred out. "Look, I know you think I'm always on your case. But, if you'd stop screwing up, I wouldn't have to yell at you."  
  
Pacey shook his head at his father's drunken speech. "Sure Pop," he said.  
  
"And Doug told me you're staying with that Potter girl," his father continued. "I don't want you staying with them anymore. You're probably being too much of a burden."  
  
Pacey shook his head and looked down at the ground. "I know, Pop," he replied.  
  
"And, you know what? I don't really want you around home anymore. You and that shitty little attitude of yours can grab all your stuff from home and haul your ass over to Doug's place," his father slurred.  
  
"He wouldn't let me stay with him," Pacey said weakly.  
  
"He offered to keep you for me and your mother cause you're too much trouble. So, tomorrow, you're moving out. If we survive this abomination of a fishing trip," his father rambled.  
  
Pacey nodded. "Alright, if that's the way you want it. I'm gonna go get some sleep," he said as he got up from the barstool.  
  
***** The next day... *****  
  
It had been quite the boring day on the boat. John Witter was extremely hung over. Dawson and Mitch were both suffering from a bit of a cold. Jack was just sitting, watching the waves. No one had even come close to catching a fish. Pacey looked up at the sky. He couldn't wait to get off the boat, go home and move out. But most of all, he couldn't wait to see Joey. It had only been two days, but after being by her every moment of every day for the past two weeks, her absence was tearing him apart. He began to daydream yet again about her. Her lopsided smile, her long flowing hair, and her gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. The way she looked when she was sleeping, the way she moaned when they kissed, the way she blushed whenever she received a compliment. Suddenly, he came back to reality when Jack was hollering out to him.  
  
"Pacey! Pacey!" he called out. "I got a bite!"  
  
Pacey quickly ran over to Jack's pole. He was instructing him on how to reel it in. "Ok, ready? Back... now reel, reel, reel, reel, reel!"  
  
Jack quickly gave up. "Pace, Pace, you do it, here," he said as he offered the pole to Pacey.  
  
Pacey grabbed the pole right out of Jack's hands. "Help me out here," he instructed. With a little help from Jack, it only took Pacey a few minutes to completely catch the fish and bring it on board.  
  
"Hey, Pacey, over here," called Mitch, snapping a picture of Pacey holding his fish in the air victoriously.  
  
Pacey was grinning from ear to ear. He looked around for his dad. He searched all around the boat for him. He finally found him in the lower compartment of the boat, passed out drunk. He had missed all of the excitement. Pacey dropped his head in frustration and stormed his way back to the main deck.  
  
***** Later... *****`  
  
Pacey and Mitch successfully docked the boat with ease. Pacey went around, making sure every task was complete before he got off the boat. He shook hands with Jack and Mitch. He turned to shake hands with Dawson.  
  
"Talk to you later man," Pacey said glumly.  
  
"Yeah. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow at school," Dawson said, not understanding why Pacey would be upset.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, see you," Pacey said as he turned back towards the boat. He noticed that his father was already stumbling off the boat towards a waiting Doug. He followed his father off the boat.  
  
"Hey Pace," Doug said, staring at his father. "Dad tell you about my offer?"  
  
"Yeah. I'll have everything out of there by tonight. I just wanna stop at Joey's before I go home," he answered.  
  
"Okay. I'll take Dad home in the cruiser, you take the car," he said as he put his arm around his father's shoulder. "I'll see you at the house," he said as he started to walk off.  
  
Pacey looked around at the open dock. Had he made a big enough effort for Joey? He was dying to see her. Without another moment's hesitation, he ran off in pursuit of the Witter wagoneer.  
  
***** Joey's house *****  
  
Joey tapped her foot impatiently in her bedroom. The last two days had been complete hell. She wanted nothing more than to see Pacey and give him her surprise. She was practically shaking with anticipation. She knew she wasn't ready to have sex just yet, but she was ready to go a bit further with Pacey. She knew that he hadn't taken her seriously when she said that she was going to properly welcome him home. She stared over at the clock on her nightstand for about the tenth time in the past five minutes. She stood up and looked herself over in the mirror. Just as she was straightening out her hair when she heard the doorbell ring. She walked quickly out of her room to answer the door. She took a deep breath when she opened the door. "Hey," she said.  
  
Pacey grinned. "I missed you Potter," he said as he gathered her up in his arms in a bear hug.  
  
Joey smiled into his shoulder. "I missed you too," she said before kissing him. "So? Were you a good boy on the trip?" she asked.  
  
Pacey gave her a grin. "Yep. I straightened things out with Dawson, and I don't have to go home anymore," he said. Joey's confused expression made him continue. "He's sending me off to Doug's. For good," he said.  
  
Joey did a sigh of relief. "I'm glad," she said.  
  
"Me too. See, I'm thinking that Doug's place does have its advantages," he said slyly as he leaned in to kiss her.  
  
"Hmm? Like what?" Joey asked between kisses.  
  
"Well, Doug does work a lot of late-night shifts," he said, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"Good point," Joey replied before kissing him again.  
  
"Damn it," Pacey said as he pulled away. "What time is it?" he asked.  
  
"About quarter to five," Joey answered. "Why?"  
  
"I have to be back at home soon," Pacey said, sighing. "I just gotta grab my bag- is your room decent?" he asked.  
  
Joey's heart did a little flip-flop. She knew that once he was in her room, it was now or never. "Yeah, just go on in," she said.  
  
Pacey walked in and retrieved his bag from the corner of the room. He looked around for any other of his clothes and found a pair of Hot Wheels boxers, a wifebeater and a red Hawaiian shirt with some Chinese writing on it. He picked them up, but quickly remembered how much Joey had liked wearing them to bed the one night. So, he folded them up and put them on her dresser. He didn't hear Joey walk in behind him and shut the door.  
  
"Do you have everything you need Pace?" Joey asked nervously.  
  
Pacey nodded. "Yeah, I think that's it," he said. "Thanks for letting me stay here," he continued.  
  
"It was my pleasure," Joey replied as she walked closer to Pacey.  
  
Pacey grinned. "I don't think that one last make-out would hurt. How about you?" he asked.  
  
"I thought you'd never ask," Joey said as she put her lips on his. Their kisses started out slow, their tongues lazily dancing together. Pacey wrapped his arms around her and lifted her up slightly. Joey wrapped her legs around him and cupped his face with her hands as she deepened the kiss. Pacey moaned as Joey's tongue searched his entire mouth. He turned around and set Joey down on the bed, letting his hormones take control. He began to softly lie down on top of her, being careful not to hurt her. His hands roamed everywhere he could touch- her back, her shoulders, her flat stomach.  
  
Joey whimpered hard as Pacey began to caress her skin. She took her shaking hands and began to un-button Pacey's shirt. Within seconds, his shirt was lying on the floor. Pacey's hands shifted slightly as he fidgeted with her bra. It took a few seconds, but soon the garment was lying on top of Pacey's shirt. Pacey then let his hands do the rest, knowing he had to relish this moment because he didn't think they'd be going any further. He cupped one breast with his right hand, gently massaging it as he continued his assault of her mouth. Once again, Joey whimpered hard. She could feel Pacey's arousal against her thigh. And to be honest, it turned Joey on more than anything.  
  
"Jo," Pacey moaned as he began to pull away a little.  
  
"Pacey," Joey panted. "Do you remember on Friday when I told you that I would have to welcome you home properly from sea?" she asked.  
  
Pacey's eyes grew wide. "Yeah?" he replied.  
  
Joey smiled as she rolled on top of him. "Welcome home," she said breathlessly as she straddled his hips.  
  
Pacey suddenly grew nervous as the butterflies in his stomach multiplied. "Jo, if you're not ready, we don't need to have sex," he said.  
  
Joey smiled. "I know. I just got to thinking that in the mean time, there are other things we could do," she suggested as she rocked her hips a little.  
  
Pacey groaned upon her sudden contact. "Are you sure?" he asked.  
  
Joey looked into his eyes, seeing more love than she had ever thought possible. "Yes," she said, running her hands down his forearms.  
  
Pacey swallowed hard. "What did you want to do?" he asked.  
  
Joey began to toy with his cargo shorts. "Well, I was thinking..." she started.  
  
Pacey flipped them over and kissed her hard before she could object. He began to toy with her jeans. One button, then the zipper. He slowly slid the denim down her legs and pushed them aside. He paused to look at Joey before he slid off her panties.  
  
Joey noticed his concern and moved forward to kiss him softly. "Pacey, I want you to," she said.  
  
That was all Pacey needed to hear. He slowly slid off her panties and tossed them onto the floor. He then took two of his fingers and delicately massaged her clit. He listened intently as Joey began to moan and rock her hips.  
  
"Pacey, please," Joey said breathlessly.  
  
Pacey grinned at Joey's demand. His fingers slowly entered her, stroking her velvet walls. He kept a slow pace, knowing that this was her first time with this. He put his other hand on Joey's hip, feeling her rock her hips towards him. He began to place kisses along her hips as his fingers began to thrust harder. Then, he heard the sexiest sound escape her lips.  
  
"Pacey," she said as she half-moaned, half-whimpered, knowing that she was close to going over the edge. She rocked her hips harder as Pacey's fingers moved faster within her. She felt her body begin to quake. She closed her eyes and had the sensation of floating. She bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming. She continued to rock her hips, slowing down as her body quaked a few more times. She sighed as she felt Pacey's fingers exit her core. He lifted himself back on top of her, lazily kissing her.  
  
Joey then made the biggest decision of her life so far. She rolled on top of Pacey once again, toying with the button and zipper of his shorts. Pacey realized what she was going to do and panicked. "Joey, you don't have to..." he started.  
  
Joey looked up at him as she slid off his shorts and placed her hands on his boxers. "Pacey. I want to," she said as she slid his boxers down to his ankles. She took a deep breath, worried that her inexperience would overcome her. However, all her fears went away when he looked into her eyes again. She smiled coyly as she moved her hands down to his cock. She slowly ran her hands down his shaft, which caused Pacey to groan. She softly repeated her actions, giving Pacey a bigger reaction as he began to buck his hips.  
  
"Joey," he said as he began to buck his hips.  
  
Joey smiled, enjoying the fact that she was giving him so much pleasure. She slowly moved her mouth down to his aching cock. She licked the head softly, then took his first few inches into her mouth, causing him to moan loudly. She sucked a little bit on his shaft before progressing down to engulf his entire cock into her mouth. Her tongue began to explore his length.  
  
"Joey," Pacey panted as his hands searched for something to grab a hold of. He settled upon her hair, entangling his fingers in her silky smooth hair. His hips began to move harder, out of lack of self-control. "Jo, I'm gonna come soon," he moaned hard. Joey ignored him as she began to suck harder, waiting for him to ejaculate. She began to work her tongue harder, pushing him over the edge. "Jo," he managed before giving in to his orgasm. Joey took all of him into her mouth, readily accepting the four squirts that he supplied. She released him from her mouth and pulled his boxers up.  
  
"Jo," Pacey panted. "I was trying to tell you that I love you," he said, trying to catch his breath.  
  
Joey smiled as she retrieved her panties from the floor. "I love you too," she said as he snuggled next to him. "So much for leaving to go to Doug's," she commented.  
  
Pacey chuckled as he kissed her forehead. "Look, I'm in no hurry to leave," he said as he reached for the spare pair of boxers and her bra. "Actually, right now, I would like nothing better than to hold the woman I love in my arms and take a nap," he said with a yawn.  
  
Joey smiled as she put on the boxers and slipped the bra back on. "Me too. I love you Pacey," she said as she wrapped his arm around her waist.  
  
"I love you too," he said as he snuggled closer to her. He started to shut his eyes as he settled into a state of ecstasy. Maybe this weekend wasn't too bad after all. 


	13. His Leading Lady: Dawson's movie And Fee...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, )TINK(, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, SmOgLoViNg, and MDSWitter26. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Note: Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated! But, good news, I've got lots in mind for the next few chapters, so they should be up soon!

"So, Dawson, what's this movie about anyways?" Pacey asked.  
  
"It's a romance. You know, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back," Dawson explained.  
  
"I see," Pacey said. "This story coming from personal experience or something?"  
  
"No, I was just thinking of the perfect teenage love story," Dawson replied. "Anyways, call time is 8 o'clock sharp for you and Joey okay?"  
  
Pacey nodded. "Sure thing. See you later," he said as he walked towards his locker. He smiled as he caught a glimpse of Joey's picture. The last few weeks together had been amazing. Pacey was feeling more close to Joey than ever before. He was just hoping that she was feeling that same closeness for him. He grabbed the remaining few books out of his locker before he felt a small pair of arms wrap around his waist. "Hey," he said to Joey before turning around to face her.  
  
"Hey," she said as she buried her face in his neck. "I can't believe that it's already the weekend."  
  
Pacey wrapped his arms around her. "Same here. Too bad we're gonna be busy helping Dawson all weekend," he said as he smelled her hair.  
  
Joey groaned. "I completely forgot about that. Do we have to?" she complained.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Yes, we do. Why, what did you have planned for the weekend?" he asked.  
  
Joey looked up at Pacey and returned his smile. "Isn't ironic that the one weekend where my house is completely empty, we decide to be nice people and help our dear friend Dawson?" she teased.  
  
Pacey grinned as he shut his locker and took Joey's hand loosely in his. "Well, just because we won't be at your house all weekend doesn't mean we can't have a little fun," he teased back.  
  
"I don't care how much I love you, I'm not doing anything at Dawson's set. What if we got caught?" Joey replied.  
  
"Then we'd have to just adjust our clothes, grin and leave the premises. Sound like a plan?" Pacey said as he led Joey out of the school.  
  
Joey just rolled her eyes. "In your dreams Pace," she said as she looked for Bessie.  
  
Pacey chuckled. "Well, after our last rendez-vous, I'd have to think that you'd be up for anything," he said quietly so nobody else besides her could hear.  
  
Joey blushed hard as she recalled Sunday's events. Images of Pacey's car, sneaking into her room, and the forest clouded Joey's head. What could she say? Ever since she and Pacey had taken the next step, she had been craving him more and more. "I thought we agreed that Sunday would be left out of public conversation," she said.  
  
Pacey grinned. "I know. I just like to see you panic," he said as he spotted Bessie. "There's your ride. Pick you up at 7:45 tomorrow?" he checked as he brought her in for a hug.  
  
Joey tenderly placed her arms around him. "Come even earlier than that and we'll give you breakfast," she said before kissing him. "I'll see you," she said as she turned to go. "Love you!" she called out before entering the truck.  
  
Pacey smiled. "Love you too," he answered before turning off to go home.  
  
The next morning...   
  
"Come on Pacey, we have to go," Joey urged as she tried to push Pacey away from her neck.  
  
"Yep, yep, just a minute," Pacey said as he ignored Joey's attempt to push him away.  
  
Joey sighed as she gave up. She brought her hands to his face and kissed him hard. She plunged her tongue into his mouth, making small circles with his tongue. They had been out in Pacey's car at the ruins for almost 20 minutes now. It was 7:58. "Come on Pace, we're late," Joey said between moans and kisses.  
  
"Dawson'll understand that we merely had some car trouble," Pacey tried.  
  
"No, he won't. He's probably already panicking enough as it is right now. I don't think he'd appreciate it if we showed up any more late than we already are," Joey reasoned as she straightened out her hair. "Now, let's go," she said.  
  
Pacey smirked as he started the car. "You've got me so whipped, you know that?"  
  
Joey grinned. "I like to use it to my advantage from time to time."  
  
Dawson's set...   
  
Dawson was having hysterics on the set. He hadn't been through his much stress in his first movie. Maybe because that movie was a little more low- key. Or maybe it was because he had put his heart and soul into the script this time around. He looked around for Pacey and Joey and finally saw them getting out of Pacey's car. They were smiling and talking to each other. Dawson felt that ball of jealously build up in his stomach yet again. However, he put it aside for the day and called them over. "Pacey! Joey! Over here!" he called loud.  
  
Pacey lifted his head up towards the sound of his name. "Hey Dawson," he said with a wave. "Has he told you what his movie's all about?" he asked Joey.  
  
"What do you mean?" Joey replied.  
  
"He just keeps telling me that it's a teenage love story, but that's it," Pacey answered.  
  
"Same here. I guess we'll just have to wait and see," she said as they reached Dawson.  
  
"Hey guys! Okay, Pacey, I'm gonna need you to go and set up some lights over there, just ask Jack for more details, and Joey, I'm gonna need you out here directing people around the set, okay? Okay? Good," Dawson rambled before setting off to do something else on the set.  
  
"Okay, um, I'll talk to you later," Joey said as she raced off to re- consult Dawson about his plans. Pacey walked off towards Jack.  
  
"Hey man, what's up?" Pacey asked as he approached Jack.  
  
Jack dropped the box he was holding. "Shit, not too much. I didn't expect you to be here," Jack said.  
  
Pacey gave him a puzzled look. "Why?"  
  
"Well, I know you two have kinda patched things up since the fishing trip, but once I took a look at Dawson's script, I wasn't too sure that you'd be here," Jack explained.  
  
"I don't get it," Pacey replied.  
  
"Well, the movie is like a true story about our lives. There's characters for each of us. Your character's name is like Petey or something. Haven't you read the script yet?" Jack asked.  
  
"No, he never showed it to me. Why? Come on Jack, tell me what's going on," Pacey pleaded.  
  
Jack sighed. "Alright, the story's about how Dawson turned Joey down earlier this year. She ends up dating you while Dawson starts falling for her. In the end, he makes her realize that they're soulmates, and she dumps you for him," Jack explained.  
  
Pacey was speechless. "Well then, it's a good thing it's just a movie, now isn't it?" he said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I just thought it'd freak you out a little, that's all," Jack said as he turned away to finish the lights.  
  
"No, I'm fine," Pacey lied. He looked around anxiously. Had Dawson fallen for Joey? What if she wanted him back? What if they broke up so that she could be with Dawson? Pacey's mind was racing at 100 miles an hour. He snapped out of it and followed Jack.  
  
Later on...   
  
Pacey was having a horrible day. He couldn't stop thinking about Dawson and Joey. And being around this set didn't help much either. He had to re-live some intense moments between them. He was beginning to get fed up. Finally, something caught his last nerve. It was a scene being practiced by the two main characters. The Dawson character was telling the Joey character that the Pacey character was only using her for sex. Pacey froze. Did Dawson really think that? Did he think that he was only using Joey for sex? Conflicted, Pacey walked off the set. He looked back to make sure his exit would be unnoticed. He then headed off to the only place where he could find peace.  
  
Joey looked around for Pacey, but he was nowhere to be found. She had asked Jack, but didn't bother to ask Dawson. He wouldn't have known where he was anyways. Finally, she caught a glimpse of him leaving. It looked like he was shaking his head with disgust or something. She turned back to the set. Maybe it had been something in the movie. Joey had noticed quickly that it had been very autobiographical. She bit her lip nervously. Should she follow Pacey and see what's wrong, or should see stay and help with Dawson's movie? Without a moment's hesitation, she put down her clipboard and took off after Pacey.  
  
Shortly...   
  
Pacey finally came to a stop. He had reached his destination: the docks. He always felt free when he was at the docks. He hadn't even noticed Joey following him at a far distance. She hadn't run after him. Rather, she decided to let him go where he wanted, and she would just meet up with him there. He had been sitting down at the docks for about five minutes before she approached him.  
  
"Hey," she said weakly.  
  
He turned around, surprised to see her. "Hey," he replied just as weakly as she knelt down beside him.  
  
"Are you gonna tell me what's wrong, or am I gonna have to guess?" Joey asked.  
  
Pacey shook his head. "I don't wanna talk about it," he said.  
  
Joey gave Pacey a small smile. "Okay," she said as she took his hand in hers as she sat down beside him. Interlacing their fingers, she smiled a bit more. "Do you ever stop and think about how much we used to hate each other?" she asked.  
  
Pacey gave her a small smile back. "That was a long time ago," he said.  
  
"Pacey, it wasn't that along ago. It seems like just yesterday that you were pulling on my ponytail or pushing me out of the sandbox," Joey argued.  
  
Pacey grinned. "You could think of it as kindergarten flirting," he reasoned.  
  
Joey smiled. "I'd like to think so," she said.  
  
"Times have changed," Pacey noted.  
  
"That's true. And so have people. And so have feelings," Joey said earnestly.  
  
Pacey looked over at her. She always knew just how to bring something up into a conversation. "I hate that movie," Pacey admitted.  
  
"Why?" Joey asked.  
  
"Did you see how I was depicted in it? I mean, come on, this movie is a complete autobiography. Obviously, Dawson just thinks of me as the sex- crazed Pacey Witter who is a complete screw-up," Pacey said bitterly.  
  
Joey nodded in understanding. "Well, I don't think that it's a total autobiography. I think it's more of Dawson's fantasy," she said. A confused look from Pacey urged her to continue. "Dawson has always thought of himself as the hero Pace. He's not used to being the underdog or the sidekick. So, he's making this movie to prove to himself that he can still be the hero, and that he can still get the girl."  
  
"But, what if his fantasy comes true?" Pacey asked.  
  
"Impossible. He can't get the girl. She belongs to somebody else," Joey answered sincerely. She pressed her forehead against his. "And she's not willing to let him go," she finished.  
  
Pacey smiled as he could feel his heart bursting with love. He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. He felt her hands move to his neck as she pulled him closer. His tongue danced slowly with hers, not wanting to go too far. He sighed as he slowly pulled away. His hands stayed at her face, while her hands softly gripped his wrists. "Feel better?" she asked quietly.  
  
Pacey grinned. "Yeah," he said as he kissed her forehead.  
  
Joey smiled as she stood up. She took Pacey's hand once again and started to lead him away from the dock.  
  
"Where are we going?" Pacey asked.  
  
"I know something else I can do to make you feel better," she teased.  
  
Pacey grinned as he caught up with her. He placed his arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "I don't think I can feel any better than this," he said.  
  
"Why not?" Joey asked.  
  
"Well, hearing that the girl I love more than anything say that she belongs to me and won't let me go pretty much takes the cake," he said. "I love you Jo."  
  
"I love you too," Joey said said as she snuggled under his embrace.


	14. To Be Or Not To Be: A Good Day Gone Wron...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, )TINK(, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, SmOgLoViNg, MDSWitter26, and Cila. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!  
  
Special Note for Cila: They haven't slept together yet...Sorry if that wasn't completely clear!

"Mr. Witter! May I have a word?" Mr. Milo called out.  
  
Pacey turned around to see Mr. Milo walking towards him with several papers in his hand. His stomach turned. This couldn't be good. "Yes, sir?" Pacey replied politely.  
  
"I just received the mid-term grades for students on academic watch yesterday evening, and might I say, I am very impressed with your progress this term," Mr. Milo said.  
  
Pacey looked at Mr. Milo's face quizzingly. "What?" he asked.  
  
"See for yourself Pacey," Mr. Milo said as he handed Pacey his report.  
  
Pacey scanned the report quickly. He saw three B's and to his surprise, two A's. Unable to contain his joy, he burst into a wide grin. "Wow, I mean, god, these are actually A's!" he exclaimed.  
  
"Yes, they are. You should be very proud of yourself Pacey. You've worked very hard. Keep up the great work," he said as he patted Pacey's shoulder.  
  
"Thank you, sir," Pacey said as he turned around to head inside. He quickly made his way through the halls to find Joey. She was standing at her locker, by herself, gathering some books. Pacey sped up and wrapped his arms around her waist upon reaching her. "Hey," he said happily.  
  
Joey smiled. "Hey, what's going on? Why are you so excited?" she asked.  
  
"Take a look," Pacey said as he gave her his report.  
  
Joey looked over the paper, her eyes lighting up when she saw his grades. "Pacey! I'm so proud of you!" she said as she wrapped him into a huge hug.  
  
Pacey closed his eyes at her touch. "Well, I do have you to thank," he said, placing a kiss on her shoulder.  
  
Joey smiled. "Pacey, this was all you."  
  
"Well, I couldn't have done it without you," Pacey argued.  
  
"No. You did this. It was all you. I was just there to give you a push," Joey said. "But can we stop arguing so I can kiss you already?"  
  
Pacey grinned as Joey moved forward and captured his lips with hers. He sucked on her bottom lip momentarily before tracing the outline of her lips with his. Joey slowly slid her tongue into his mouth, allowing his tongue to dance with hers. However, their kiss was cut short by the sound of the bell. "Mmm, damn," Pacey said as Joey reluctantly pulled back.  
  
"I'll see you later, okay?" Joey said as she shut her locker.  
  
"Yep. See ya," Pacey said with a grin as he strolled off to Peterson's class, feeling more confidant than ever.  
  
Peterson's class...   
  
"Mr.Witter! Do you have your assignment or not?" Mr. Peterson asked as Pacey searched for his poem.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I got it in here, somewhere," Pacey said as he continued to search for it. "A-ha! Right here, sir," Pacey said as he pulled his assignment out of his binder.  
  
"Ode to the sports car?" Mr. Peterson said as he collected his paper.  
  
"You said that we could write about whatever we wanted," Pacey replied.  
  
"Exactly. As long as it wasn't stupid and a complete waste of my time," Mr. Peterson said.  
  
Pacey bit his lip, trying not to tell Peterson what was on his mind. He turned over to Jack. "Is it just me, or does he get meaner every day?" he asked.  
  
"It's not you," Jack answered.  
  
"Pardon me, Mr. McPhee," Mr. Peterson said as he heard what Jack and Pacey had said.  
  
"Yes, sir?" Jack said, sensing that he was in trouble.  
  
"I just wanted to know how your poetry assignment went for you," Mr. Peterson asked.  
  
"It went fine," Jack said quickly.  
  
"That's wonderful. Then I don't suppose you'd mind if you read it aloud to the class?" he asked.  
  
"Sir, you said these poems were just for you," Jack said uncomfortably.  
  
"I changed my mind. Now, go ahead and read the poem," Mr. Peterson replied.  
  
"Please, could I just hand it in?" Jack pleaded.  
  
"Mr. McPhee! You either read the poem aloud or you receive a zero!" Mr. Peterson commanded.  
  
Jack reluctantly got up. His hands were shaking. "Today. Today was a day the world got smaller. Darker. I grew more afraid. Not of what I am, But what I could be. I loosen my collar to take a breath. My eyes fade and I see... I see him. An image of perfection, his frame strong. His lips smooth. I keep thinking what am I so scared of? And I wish I could escape the pain but these thoughts, they invade my head, like shackles of guilt. They upleash at me." By now, Jack was on the verge of tears. He tried to continue reading, but he couldn't. "I'm sorry," he said as he quickly walked out of the classroom.  
  
Pacey shook his head as Jack left the room. He stood up and walked towards the door.  
  
"Sit down Mr. Witter!" Mr. Peterson ordered.  
  
"No. I'm gonna go see if he's okay," Pacey replied.  
  
"Mr. Witter, if you don't sit down this instant, I will fail you!" Mr. Peterson threatened.  
  
"For what? For going to make sure one of my friends is okay after you forced him to read a poem? Come on," Pacey argued.  
  
"If Mr. McPhee cannot control his emotions, that is not my fault," Mr. Peterson said.  
  
Pacey stared at him in disbelief. "How can you sit there and not feel bad after you made a student cry? What kind of teacher are you?" Pacey shouted.  
  
"Mr. Witter, that is more than enough! You can go to the principal's office and discuss this further. You can also count on a failing grade in this course," Mr. Peterson said.  
  
"You can't fail me! I've gotten a B or better on every test in this class!" Pacey replied.  
  
"I don't care. I've been wanting to fail you for months. It is students like you who remind me what kind of failures we have in our society. Teaching to students like you is like spitting in the face of the entire educational system!" Mr. Peterson bellowed.  
  
Pacey couldn't contain his anger anymore. He spat directly in Peterson's face. "No sir. That is spitting in the face of the educational system," he said as he took his pass and left the room.  
  
Principal's office...   
  
"I'm not going to apologize," Pacey stated simply.  
  
"Yes, you will, Pacey," Principal Markie told him.  
  
"I won't," Pacey stated once again.  
  
"What an insubordinate waste," Mr. Peterson muttered under his breath.  
  
"Hey, you're hardly innocent here yourself," Mr. Milo said.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Mr. Peterson said.  
  
"You made a student cry, which caused another student to have an excessive reaction," Mr. Milo explained.  
  
"You call spitting in someone's face an excessive reaction? That's quite the understatement," Mr. Peterson said in disbelief.  
  
"Alright. Look, why don't we reconvene tomorrow? Pacey, you either apologize, or I will be forced to suspend you. You can go now," Principal Markie said.  
  
Pacey slowly got up and left the office. As soon as he was out the door, he saw Joey waiting outside.  
  
"Pacey," Joey said simply, unaware of how to approach the situation.  
  
Pacey sighed. "Can we talk about this anywhere but here?" he asked solemnly.  
  
Joey nodded. "Yeah. Let's go," she said as she took his hand and led him out of the office and out the door.  
  
Inside Pacey's car...   
  
"Where do I start?" Pacey asked, looking at the ground.  
  
Joey looked at Pacey, unable to catch his eyes. They were sitting in the backseat of the Witter wagoneer. Unsure of what to say or do, she took Pacey's hand in hers once again. She squeezed it gently in hopes to reassure him. "It doesn't matter."  
  
Pacey sighed. "It all started when Peterson called my poem stupid and a complete waste of his time. I looked over at Jack and asked him if it was just me or did it seem like Peterson got meaner everyday. I guess Peterson heard Jack tell me that it wasn't just me, cause then he told Jack to get up and read his poem. Jack's poem was really personal, and he started to cry a bit. He left class, so I went to follow him. Peterson told me to sit down, and I said that I wouldn't. Peterson said that if Jack couldn't keep himself together, it was his own fault. I asked Peterson what kind of teacher he was and then he sent me to me the principal's office and told me that he was going to fail me. I argued that point, and Peterson very politely told me that I was a failure and that teaching people like me was like spitting in the face of the entire educational system. After he said that, I...I spat in his face. And now, if I don't apologize to him, I'm going to be suspended. There's my morning in a nutshell." Pacey sighed once again. "How much different is the version you heard from the truth?"  
  
"I heard that you two had gotten into a fist fight. I also heard that you tried to throw a chair at him," Joey said.  
  
Pacey rubbed his eyes with his hand. "This sucks," he stated.  
  
"I know," Joey said as she ruffled his hair. "What are you gonna do?"  
  
"I won't apologize. I can't, not after what he pulled. I just wanna know how long my suspension's gonna be," Pacey replied.  
  
"Are you sure that's what you wanna do?" Joey asked.  
  
Pacey looked up and met her eyes for the first time since they had entered the car. "I have to," Pacey said. "If I can't apologize to him... are you gonna be ashamed of me?"  
  
Joey gave Pacey a small smile. "No. I may not agree with the way you handled it, but whatever you do, I'm gonna support it 100 percent."  
  
Pacey smiled. He had thought for sure that Joey wouldn't support him. "Thanks Jo," he said as he kissed her forehead.  
  
"You're welcome," she said. "Do you wanna go home now?"  
  
Pacey nodded. "But only if you come with me," he said.  
  
Joey smiled. "As if I wouldn't," she said as she leaned over to kiss him.  
  
The next day...   
  
Pacey and Joey were sitting outside of the principal's office, waiting for Pacey to go inside. Pacey's heart was racing. He was really nervous. He knew that his GPA wouldn't survive a long suspension. Maybe he should just apologize. Or maybe he shouldn't. He looked over at Joey, who was sitting there patiently, holding his hand.  
  
"Pacey? We're ready for you now," Principal Markie said.  
  
Pacey hesitantly stood up. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. He felt Joey squeeze his hand. "Everything's going to be okay Pacey," she asserted.  
  
Pacey rested his forehead against hers. "I know," he replied. He hesitantly let go of her hand and entered the office.  
  
"Pacey. Have a seat," Principal Markie said. Pacey did as he was told. "What do you have to say?"  
  
"Well, I guess I should start by saying that I am more ashamed of what I did yesterday than anything I've done in my whole life. And while I apologize for my actions, I will not apologize for its intent. What happened in class yesterday was not right. To force a student to read a poem, to make a student cry, and strip him of his dignity in front of his classmates is not right. To threaten to fail a student because he's worried about a friend is not right. To call a student a failure in front of his classmates is not right. Give me whatever punishment you deem fit because I think I had every right to get upset yesterday," Pacey said.  
  
Principal Markie nodded her head. "One week. As of right now, you are suspended for a week. You will still be expected to complete all of your assignments, so I advise that you keep up with your homework. You may leave now."  
  
Pacey nodded his head as he stood up to leave. He left the office and immediately saw Joey. "How did it go?" she asked.  
  
"As well as could be imagined. I'm only suspended for a week," Pacey said with a shrug. "So, I better go back to Doug's. Will you come by later?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, for sure," Joey answered. She pulled Pacey in for a hug. "I love you," she said.  
  
"I love you too," Pacey said as he pulled away. He walked out of the office and left the building.  
  
Later on...   
  
Pacey was lounging around at Doug's. He was trying to watch tv, but he couldn't focus. Suddenly, he heard the doorbell ring. Reluctantly, he got up to answer the door. He opened it to see his father looking very angry. "Hey Pop," Pacey said.  
  
"Don't you Hey Pop me! I just got a call from your school and they told me that you spat in a teacher's face and you didn't properly apologize for it! And, you got yourself suspended as well! What the hell is wrong with you!" his father shouted.  
  
"Did they forget to tell you the rest of the story?" Pacey replied.  
  
"The rest of the story doesn't matter. All I know is that I'm gonna have to kick your ass for your behavior!" his father bellowed as he cornered him. "I'm gonna teach you once and for all not to disgrace our family!"  
  
Quickly, Pacey punched his father in the stomach, then tried to sprint past him. Unfortunately, his father tripped him as Pacey tried to go by. He picked Pacey up and began punching him as hard as he could anywhere he could hit- his face, his arms, his stomach. Finally, his father gave him a hard blow to the head. Pacey felt his head spinning as he fell to the floor. He heard his father leave Doug's house, then he felt everything go black.  
  
To Be Continued...


	15. That Is The Question: Waiting Rooms And ...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, )TINK(, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, SmOgLoViNg, MDSWitter26, Cila, meli dav, patcreekgirl, and sunydee2**.** I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!

Joey straightened out her shirt as she walked up the steps to Doug's place. It was 7:00, a little later than Joey had planned on seeing Pacey. She walked up to the door and noticed that it was still open a little. She let herself in and looked around for Pacey. "Pacey? Pace?" she called out. She took another step forward and saw Pacey lying on the floor. "Oh my god! Pacey!" Joey said frantically as she quickly ran over to him. She began checking him for bruises and bleeding the best she could. She felt Pacey shake a little as he began to come to. "Pacey! Are you ok?" she inquired.

Pacey felt like his head was spinning. He kept hearing someone calling his name. He slowly shifted around until his eyes fluttered open. "Joey?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm here. Are you okay?" Joey asked yet again as she took a hold of his hand.

"Um, I think so," Pacey said as he tried to get up. He winced in pain and quickly settled back down on the floor. "Okay, maybe not," he said.

"Do you think anything's broken?" Joey asked as she rubbed his forearm softly.

"Uh, probably not. I'm just a little sore," Pacey answered.

"What happened?" Joey asked.

"Let's see... my father came over and we had a bit of an argument. He wasn't too happy, so..." Pacey replied. "Whatever. I'm fine."

"Pacey, you have to do something," Joey said.

"Listen, Jo, that's not gonna happen. I don't want anybody to know about this," Pacey said. "Look, I need to get some ice or something for my eyes," he said as he pointed at his two very swollen eyes.

Joey just nodded as she walked over to the refrigerator to get him some ice. She returned to his side and carefully placed the ice over his eyes. "We're going to a hospital," she concluded as she lifted up Pacey's shirt to reveal some heavy bruising.

Pacey tried to sit up and see, but he quickly settled his head down after realizing how dizzy he was. "No, we're not," he argued.

"Pacey, why not?" Joey asked.

"Because, Joey, they're going to ask what happened, and I already told you that I don't want anybody to know!" Pacey exclaimed.

"Then make something up. I don't care. I really think you should get these bruises checked out. Make sure that you're okay," Joey reasoned.

Pacey smiled as he took Joey's hand in his. "Okay. But, I think I'm gonna need you to drive me there cause I can't really see straight."

"Sure, whatever you need," Joey said as she put her arm around Pacey's shoulder in an attempt to help him up. Slowly, Joey helped to pick Pacey up off his feet and together they walked out to the Witter wagoneer.

At the hospital...

Pacey quietly tapped his foot on the hospital floor. It was now 9:00. He and Joey had been waiting in the hospital waiting room for almost 2 hours now. He had already given up icing his sore eyes, and both his stomach and his head were pounding. He turned and looked over at Joey, who was sitting quietly next to him, reading a magazine. "You don't have to stay here any longer Joey," he said. "I've got some money on me, I can take a cab."

"Nope. Look, Pacey, you better stop wasting your time trying to get rid of me. I'm not leaving this hospital without you. I already called Bessie, and she told me that I could stay as long as I wanted, just as long as I attended school tomorrow. And besides, I'm sure that you'll get looked at in a minute," Joey replied.

"But..."

"No buts! Pacey, what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't stick around and make sure that you're okay?" Joey said. Pacey opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't really know how to respond to that. He sighed and wrapped his arm around Joey and pulled her closer to him. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere without you Pace," Joey finished. They sat in silence for a few minutes before a nurse entered the waiting room.

"Witter? Pacey Witter?" she called out.

Pacey struggled to get to his feet. Joey got up with him and gave her his arm in attempt to steady himself. Together, they slowly made their way over to the nurse. "The doctor will see you now Pacey," the nurse said. "Do you think you'll be able to make it there by yourself or do you need this young lady here to help you?"

Pacey smiled a bit. "She's coming with me," he answered. The nurse nodded and held the door open for them as they slowly made their way to the examination room.

Later on...

Joey slowly sipped at her coffee. She hadn't been allowed to accompany Pacey in the examination room, and she had been waiting for him for two hours. She closed her eyes and leaned back against her chair. She had been putting on a strong front for Pacey all night. She was scared to death about him. She couldn't leave him. She got up from her chair and walked over to the pay phone. She slipped in some money and dialed her number. She waited anxiously for Bessie to pick up. "Hello?" said the voice at the other end.

"Hey, Bess," Joey said.

"Joey! Where are you? It's almost 11:00 and you have school tomorrow morning! Are you at Pacey's?" Bessie inquired.

"Look, Bessie, we're still at the hospital. The doctor's examining him right now. Listen, would it be okay if I stayed with him tonight, maybe tomorrow?" Joey asked.

"Joey, come on. Why would I let you stay home from school just so you could sit around with your boyfriend all day?" Bessie asked.

"Because there isn't any one else there for him!" Joey exclaimed.

"What about Doug? Or his parents?" Bessie asked.

"Doug's been pretty much living at the station lately, and as for his parents...look, I don't want to get into this right now. Can I stay with him or not?" Joey answered.

Bessie paused. "How badly is he hurt?" she asked.

"He's got a lot of bruising, and he was feeling really dizzy earlier. I'm more afraid that something could be broken or internal bleeding or something," Joey replied as strongly as she could. "Listen, Bessie, he needs me right now. I can't just leave him now."

Bessie sighed hard into the phone. She knew how much Pacey meant to her little sister. "Fine. I'll call the school tomorrow. But, you owe me," she said.

Joey smiled into the receiver. "Thanks Bessie. I'll talk to you later," she replied.

"Yep. See ya," Bessie said as she hung up the phone. Joey hung up and walked back to her chair. She looked up and heard a door opening. She saw Pacey slowly walking out with a bag in his hand. She got up and walked over to him. "Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, no concussions or internal bleeding. Just bruised ribs and contusions," Pacey answered. "Sorry it took so long in there."

"It doesn't matter how long you were in there for, all that matters is that you're okay," Joey replied as she took his hand in hers. "Let's get you home."

Doug's place...

Joey led Pacey into Doug's dark apartment. "Jo, you don't need to stay with me tonight if you don't want to," Pacey protested as she led him into his room.

"Pacey, how many times am I gonna have to tell you that you're not going to get rid of me so quickly?" Joey said as she took his medication from him and placed it on his dresser. She focused her attention on his shirt. "I'm not going anywhere," she told him as she quickly worked through the buttons. She took his hands in hers and looked intently into his eyes. "I want to be here with you," she said as she moved to his neck, placing soft kisses there. She released his hands and slowly pushed his shirt off his shoulders. "And right now, we need to get you to bed cause it's been a very long day and I can tell that you're tired," she continued.

"I'm not that tired," Pacey protested as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder.

Joey shivered as she felt Pacey's lips on her shoulder. "Pace," she said as she pulled back a little, giving him a knowing look. "You were almost asleep in the car," she stated.

Pacey sighed, giving her a small smile. "Small technicality," he replied as he stroked her back. "Fine. You win. I'm tired, and all I want to do right now is get into bed with the woman I love and go to sleep. Satisfied?"

"Yep," she answered as she ran her hands up and down his arms. "Can I borrow something to sleep in?" she asked.

"Like you even needed to ask," Pacey replied as he stepped over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. He tossed them over to her and turned his back so that she could change. "Hey Jo?" he said.

"Yeah?" she answered as she removed her shirt and bra and put on Pacey's t-shirt.

"Do you think it was worth all this?" Pacey asked.

"What was worth all this?" Joey said as she removed her jeans and put on Pacey's boxers.

"Standing up to Peterson. Was it worth getting suspended for or getting the crap beaten out of me?" Pacey asked as he rubbed his aching eyes.

Joey walked over to his bed and sat down. "Pacey, don't blame yourself for what your father did to you. It wasn't your fault," she said as she tried to stroke his back.

Pacey pulled away before she could reach him. "Yeah it was," he said dejectedly. "If I hadn't of done anything, none of this ever would have happened. Jack wouldn't have had to read his poem, I wouldn't have gotten suspended and my dad wouldn't have gotten angry. Don't you get it Joey? I deserved what I got," he continued.

"Pacey!" Joey exclaimed as she tried to grab his arm. He shrugged her off. She got up and walked over towards him so she could face him. "I'm not gonna let you blame yourself for this! What your father did to you was not right! Parents should under no circumstances hit their kids. Even if he was upset with your suspension, he had no right to come over here and send you to the hospital!" she said. When Pacey continued looking at the ground, Joey kneeled down in front of him. "Pace... you're a good person. You're kind, and you're selfless, and you care so much about everyone around you. If I were to start from scratch, and try and create the perfect boy, I would end up with you. You do not deserve to be getting this from your father. Do you hear me?" Joey said a bit more calmly.

Pacey slowly nodded his head and wiped at his eyes, trying to hold back the unshed tears. "What about the whole Jack thing?" he asked.

"That wasn't your fault either. What Peterson did to Jack, forcing him to read his poem, was wrong. I don't think that Jack is angry with you. I don't know exactly what his poem was about that caused him to have such an emotional reaction to it, but I do know that it wasn't your fault," Joey replied. Pacey slowly lifted his head to look at Joey. She was looking at him intently, hoping that he would believe what she was saying. He looked back down at the ground as he felt a few tears splash onto his face, he quickly tried to wipe them away, but as soon as he did, more tears took their place. Joey stood up and sat beside him on the bed. She put her arms around him and brought his head to her shoulder. She placed a kiss on the top of his head and did the best she could to comfort him.

"I'm sorry Jo," he said into her shoulder.

"For what?" she asked as she clung onto him a little tighter.

"You shouldn't have to be here, watching me have a breakdown," he answered.

Joey pulled back a little and wiped the last few tears away. "Pacey, I don't mind being here for a breakdown. How many times have you been my shoulder after a bad day? When will you get it?" she asked.

"Get what?" he asked.

"That I want to be here with you, any time, all the time. And don't go and say that you're not worth my time, cause you are. I already told you that I'm not going anywhere. I just wish you could believe that," Joey replied.

"It's hard to believe that the most amazing girl in the world would want to spend her time with me," Pacey said.

Joey blushed a little at Pacey's comment. "Well, I find it hard to believe that the most amazing boy in the world is in love with me," she admitted. She saw Pacey smile a little and she kissed his forehead. "Come on, you need to get to sleep," she said as she got up and started to get underneath the covers.

Pacey walked over to the other side of the bed and got in. He took Joey in his arms. "I love you Potter," he said as he closed his eyes.

"I love you too," she said as she snuggled under his embrace.

The next day...

"Pacey, Jack's here to see you," Joey said as she entered the living room.

Pacey looked up from the tv. He and Joey had spent the entire day together, just enjoying the time alone. He struggled to get up from the couch. The only visible evidence of his father's assault were his eyes, which were improving after having some ice on them. Joey went over and helped him up, softly kissing him after he was on his feet. He walked over to the front door. "Hey Jack," he said.

"Hey Pace," Jack replied. "What happened to your eyes?"

"I, um, fell down the stairs at home yesterday. Um, how's it going?" he asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

"It's alright. Look, I just came by to give you your homework and stuff, and to say thanks for standing up for me," Jack said as he handed Pacey some papers.

"No problem, man," Pacey said as he forced a smile. "How are the masses handling what happened?"

Jack sighed. "People are thinking that I'm gay. And I know that my poem could easily be interpreted like that, but it's not like that."

Pacey nodded. "Then what is it about?"

"It's about Tim's death. Before I sat down and wrote the poem, I was going through a photo album that Andie had. And I came across a few pictures that we took before he died. And I don't know man, something just triggered. I realized that I hadn't really dealt with his death. I also got to thinking about my dad. It's tough living with the fact that your own father doesn't think anything of you, that you'll never be good enough for him," Jack explained. "It just sucks that people won't see that in the poem, you know? And now people are going after Jen, about having a gay boyfriend. I really hate having to put her through this. I'm thinking of letting her go."

"Come on Jack, you don't mean that," Pacey said.

"I'm dead serious Pace. This is my battle, not hers. She deserved better than getting dragged through my mess. So, I'm thinking that I should break it off before she gets hurt," Jack replied.

"Jack. I know Jen. She's crazy about you. This is going to break her heart," Pacey said.

"It's breaking my heart too, Pace," Jack said. "I love her."

"Then don't let her go. Look. Jen's not the kind of girl to ditch someone she cares about when times get rough. She's gonna stand by you through all of this. Let her be there," Pacey replied. "If you try to push her away, when this situation dies down, you're gonna want her back. But she's not going to forget that you left her before."

Jack sighed. "So what do I do Pace?" he asked.

"Stay with the girl. Let her be there for you Jack," Pacey answered.

Jack smiled a bit. "Thanks Pace," he said as he got up to shake Pacey's hand. "For everything."

Pacey grinned. "No problem man. I'll see you later," he said as he shook Jack's hand. He turned around and went back inside. He took his place beside Joey on the couch. "You know, you should really head back home now Joey. I mean, you need to work tonight, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah," Joey said, a little distracted.

"Joey? What's up?" he asked.

Joey sighed. "I heard what you told Jack," she said.

"And?" he asked.

"I need you to promise me something," she replied.

"And what's that?" he asked.

"That you let me be here for you," she said. "I need you to promise me that not only will you acknowledge that you know that I'll always be there for you, but you will let me be there for you when you need me to."

Pacey smiled. "I think I can do that," he said as he reached over and gave her a hug. "Come on, let me drive you home."

"Okay, just let me grab my shoes," Joey said as she got up to retrieve her shoes.

"And Jo?" he said.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Thanks for being here. I really needed you today, and yesterday," he said as he walked over to her. "You don't know how much I needed you here."

Joey smiled. "You're welcome Pace. Just remember, I'm always here for you."

Pacey grinned. "I know. Come on, let's get you home."


	16. Be Careful What You Wish For: Rambling D...

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, )TINK(, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, SmOgLoViNg, MDSWitter26, Cila, meli dav, patcreekgirl, and sunydee2. I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!

Rating: This one's NC-17. Enough said.

"Pacey," Joey mumbled as Pacey was on top of her, kissing her neck.

"What?" Pacey said into her neck as he tried to fidget with the clasp of her bra.

"Bessie is going to be home any minute," she continued as she put her hands on top of his to stop him from going any further.

Pacey pulled back and gave her a small smile as he sat up. "I think I get it now," he said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Get what?" Joey asked.

"Have you noticed that every time we're alone nowadays, Bessie is always going to be home any minute?" Pacey replied.

Joey stared at him coldly. "Are you trying to get at something here Pacey?" she asked as she held her stare.

Pacey sighed. "Look, I've just been noticing that for the past few weeks, you've been holding back from me or something," he answered.

Joey was shocked. "So, just because we haven't...done...anything...in a sexual way..." she started.

"Joey, I told you after we moved to the next level in our relationship that I wouldn't be expecting us to do that every time we were around each other," Pacey interrupted.

"Then if that's really the case, what's the problem?" Joey asked.

"The problem is that for the past two weeks, you haven't let me get close to you. We might start making out or something, but as soon as I try to do anything else after that, you won't let me. Even something as simple as touching your stomach when we're kissing, you push my hand away," Pacey replied. He watched as Joey dropped her head and stared at the ground. "Look, if you feel that something's wrong between us, I'd like to know about it," he said as he walked towards her.

Joey lifted her head. "Pacey, there's nothing wrong between us. Right now, this is all me, okay?" she said.

"Well, what is it?" he asked.

Joey bit down on her bottom lip. "Two things. Last week, if you must know, it was my time of the month and this week..." she started. "I just don't want us to get caught in a compromising situation by Bessie, or Bodie, or Doug for that matter. I mean, the other day Bessie wouldn't leave me alone about the "love bite" on my neck, which was all you, I'd like to add," she rambled.

Pacey smiled. "You were encouraging me the whole time, remember?" he said.

Joey blushed as she remembered, in full detail, that entire makeout session. "That's beside the point. The point is Pace, we don't have a problem. We're fine. Okay?" she assured.

"But if you felt that we did have a problem, you would tell me, right?" Pacey asked as he wrapped his arms around Joey's waist.

"Of course. But, like I said, there's nothing to worry about," Joey replied as she kissed his neck. "Now, where were we?"

Later on...

"Thanks so much for helping me with Dawson's party girls," Gale said as she began pacing around the kitchen.

"No problem, Mrs. Leery," Jen said with a smile.

"Yea, no problem," Joey said, a little distracted.

"Well, I've gotta run. I'll talk to you two later," Gale said as she grabbed her coat and left the kitchen.

Jen turned over to Joey, who was getting up from her chair. "So, it seemed like someone was a million miles away there," Jen teased.

Joey smiled. "Was I that obvious?" she asked.

"To the trained eye, yes, yes you were," Jen said as she grabbed her coat and started making her way to the front door. She waited until Joey was at the front door before continuing. "What's up?"

Joey sighed. "I don't know," she replied.

"Sorry Joey, but an 'I don't know' isn't going to cut it for this conversation. What's on your mind?" Jen asked.

"Sex," Joey stated simply. "Sex is on my mind."

Jen nodded. "Hmm. Do tell," she said.

"For the past few weeks, there's just been this incredible tension between Pacey and I. I don't know if he feels it or not, but every time we get within five feet of each other, I just feel this tension rising," Joey rambled. "He asked me about it earlier, but I just shrugged it off."

"Are you sure that was the best idea?" Jen asked.

"I don't know. I just don't want to have a sex discussion with him," Joey replied.

"He's your boyfriend Joey, and he has been for what? Six, seven months now maybe? Why won't you discuss it with him?" Jen asked.

Joey hesitated. "I don't know what I want," she said.

Jen looked at Joey intently. "Keep going," she continued.

Joey shrugged. "Look, I just don't want to rush into sex and have it jeopardize our relationship. I know that I want more, I just feel the need to keep waiting until the right moment," she finished.

Jen nodded in understanding. "I get it. But, have you ever thought about the idea that maybe there is no right moment to have sex?"

Joey stared at Jen, puzzled by her comment. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that maybe there is no such thing as the perfect moment to have sex. And that's just because that's how life is. However, I do think that in an imperfect moment, having sex can turn the otherwise dull moment into a perfect one. Do you get what I'm saying?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's just that...it's a big step. I'm afraid there might be a fallout afterwards," Joey replied.

"Joey, how do you know that there will be a fallout afterwards? You and Pacey could have sex and everything could be the same as it is now, or it could be better. Listen, Joey, the most exciting things in life usually require more courage than we presently have. You just have to take a deep breath and jump," Jen advised.

Joey let Jen's advice sink in. "So, to recap, are you saying that I should have sex with Pacey?"

"Not exactly. I'm saying that if you feel some sexual tension, you need to talk to Pacey about it. And if you want to have sex with Pacey, well, just follow your heart. It always wins in the end," Jen answered. "Now, about me and Jack..."

Dawson's party...

"Hey Pacey, Joey," Jack said as he saw them walking up to the Leery's front porch.

"Hey Jack," Pacey said. "Where's the better half?" he asked.

"Inside, mingling. Wow, Joey you look great," Jack said, acknowledging Joey's new outfit.

"Thank you Jack. You look...like you always do," Joey replied.

Jack laughed. "Thanks Joey," he said.

Joey turned to Pacey. "I'm gonna go in and say hi to everyone," she said.

"Alright. I'll be out here," Pacey said as she turned and walked away.

"Hey Jack? Do you mind if I bitch to you about my insecurities regarding my girlfriend for awhile?" Pacey asked Jack as soon as Joey had entered the house.

"Not at all Pace," Jack answered as he motioned for Pacey to sit down. "What's up?" he asked.

Pacey sighed as he sat down. "I think that Joey's hiding something from me. And that's been eating away at my brain for the past few days," he confessed.

"Hiding what?" Jack asked.

"I don't know. She just won't let me get close to her. I mean, over the past few months, it's like the closest I've ever been with a person. And now, every time I get within three feet of her, she shrugs me off or pushes me away," Pacey explained. "It's just so unbelievably frustrating."

"I getcha man. But, tell me, what do you honestly think she's hiding from you? I know you've got some idea at the back of your head," Jack said as he pressed the issue further.

"Well, it could be that she's done something that she thinks might hurt me, or it could be that she thinks we're spending too much time together and that she needs to take a few steps back and 'find herself', I don't know," Pacey replied.

Jack let Pacey's ideas set in. "I don't think those fit. Joey's is ass-backwards in love with you. Everybody can see it, except for you sometimes, but I don't think that she did anything to hurt you. And you two have been permanently attached at the hip for months now. I think it's safe assume that she's not getting tired of you or anything. And come on, I don't think that Joey would tell you that she had to go and find herself. Does that sound like something she would say?" Jack said.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Pacey replied.

"Anyways, Pace, I do have an insight as to what's up with you and Joey," Jack said.

"And that is?" Pacey asked.

"Two words for you Pace: sexual tension. That's what your problem is," Jack answered.

Pacey sighed. "Why didn't I think of that before?" he realized.

"I don't know Pace, but I kind of thought it was obvious. As did Jen. Why didn't you consider sexual tension?" Jack asked.

"Because, I didn't think she'd be feeling a lot of sexual tension. I feel it, I just haven't said anything," Pacey replied.

"And why haven't you said anything?" Jack asked.

"Cause I don't want to guilt her into having sex," Pacey answered.

Jack nodded in understanding. "I understand. But, I still think that you need to talk to her about this. You told me once that you and her have always been honest throughout the course of your relationship. Why stop that now?" he asked, hoping that Pacey would get the point and talk to Joey.

Pacey's lips quickly formed into a smile. "Thanks Jack," he said as he got up to look for Joey.

Inside the Leery house...

Joey was mingling with the guests at Dawson's party. She looked around everywhere, but she couldn't find Dawson. She decided to look upstairs. Maybe he was lurking up there somewhere. She walked up the staircase and went down the hall. She slowly opened the door to Dawson's room. And there he was, sitting on the window ledge, staring out into space. "Hey Dawson," she said.

Dawson turned his head. "Hey Joey. How's the party?" he asked.

"It's alright. Why aren't you down there?" she asked.

"I don't know. I felt like doing some major soul searching. I mean, look at me Joey. I haven't changed at all from this time last year," Dawson replied.

Joey walked over to the edge of his bed and sat down. "Come on Dawson. Sure you have. We've all changed," she reasoned.

"Well, I know that you've changed, Jen's changed, Pacey has changed, but I still feel like I'm the exact same person I was a year ago. Where's my character growth?" he complained. "Where's my defining moment?"

"If you keep looking, you'll find it. Don't get down on yourself," Joey replied.

"I can't help it. I just want to finally get some answers," Dawson said.

"The answers will come, when you least expect them to," Joey said.

Dawson paused. "What was your defining moment?" he asked.

"Hmmm. I'd have to say that it would be me and Pacey's first kiss at the Icehouse," Joey answered.

"Why?" Dawson asked.

"Well, because it started our relationship, and our relationship has changed me a lot since last year," Joey explained.

"Do you think that you and Pacey were meant to be?" he asked. "Do you think he's your soulmate?"

"You know, I'm not too big on the whole soulmate idea. I think that me and Pacey just developed feelings for each other, and we fell in love. It's been a great ride, and I don't plan on getting off any time in the near future," Joey said.

"Yeah, but do you think that fate brought you two together? Do you think he's the one?" Dawson asked.

Joey paused. "Do I think he's the one?" she repeated. She bit down on her bottom lip. "I think that he's a definite possibility." Dawson looked down at the ground. "Well, what about you? Do you think that your soulmate is out there somewhere?"

"I know who my soulmate is. She just hasn't come around yet," he answered. "And it's weird because she was in love with me, and then she went and supposedly fell in love with another guy."

Joey paused for a second. "Dawson, what are you trying to say?" she asked.

Dawson sighed. "I'm trying to tell you that you're my soulmate. Joey, you and I are meant to be. I've been on this soul searching journey all year, and at the end, what I found, was you," he said.

Joey got up from the bed. "Dawson..." she started.

"Joey, you think you're in love with Pacey, but you're not. He's just a bump in the road, the obstacle in the two star-crossed lovers path," he said as he interrupted her.

Joey glared at Dawson. "How do you even know what love is?" she asked.

"I don't know. I do know that just a few months ago, we kissed right here, in this very spot, and I was just confused about my feelings because I didn't know what they were. And I know now Joey, that I'm ready to have a relationship with you. We can be together!" Dawson explained.

"No, we can't be together Dawson. I'm with Pacey. I'm in love with Pacey," Joey replied.

"Ugh, Joey! You're not in love with him! He's just a rebound guy! The only reason you two are dating is because you thought you needed to get over me!" Dawson said.

"Dawson! How I felt about you and how I feel about him now are completely different! Are you trying..." Joey shouted back before Dawson stepped forward and kissed her. Joey was momentarily stunned by Dawson's actions. She quickly tried to push him away, but he held her forearms still. However, they were soon interrupted by the sound of an opening door.

"Dawson?" Pacey said as he opened the door before looking in. When he turned his head, his heart sank. Dawson and Joey were kissing. 'This is what Joey's been hiding from me,' he thought to himself. "I'm sorry, I'm obviously interrupting something," he said as he quickly shut the door and flew down the hall, onto to the stairs.

"Pacey!" Joey called out, finally releasing herself from Dawson's grasp and leaving him there bewildered. She ran after him, stopping momentarily to retrieve her coat. She sprinted through the house and followed him out the door. He wasn't running, but he was walking away as fast as he could. "Pacey!" she called out as she approached him. She reached forward and pulled his arm back, forcing him to face her. "Pacey, let me explain," she pleaded.

"What's to explain Jo?" Pacey asked as he pulled away from her grasp and continued walking away from her.

Joey shook her head and caught up with him. "It's not what you think!" she exclaimed. "Look, one of the best things about us is that we always tell the truth. So, why don't you just let me tell you the truth?"

Pacey stopped in his tracks. He turned around and looked at her. There were a few tears on her face now, and more were threatening to fall. He noticed that she was shivering delicately in the cold. He took her coat from her hands and walked behind her to help her into it. "I don't know if this is the best place to have this conversation, a few hundred yards away from his house. Let's go," he said as he took her hand and began walking.

"Okay," she said softly, surprised that he was holding her hand, leading her away so they could talk. She kept quiet and thought carefully about what to say to him.

At the docks...

Pacey led Joey down to his favourite spot on the docks. He motioned for her to sit down, and then he walked a few paces away from her to sit down himself. "Okay. What happened?" he asked.

"Well, I went inside the house to see to mingle, and I couldn't find Dawson. And seeing as it is his party, I went looking for him to see why he wasn't downstairs enjoying the party. He was in his room, just sitting at the window. I went in and we just started talking. We talked about how I've changed, and my defining moment, soulmates, stuff like that," Joey explained.

"How does that lead up to you two kissing?" Pacey asked impatiently.

"He asked me if I thought that you were my soulmate. I told him that I didn't believe in soulmates, and I asked him about his soulmate. And he told me that I was it. And then he kept going on and on about how we were meant to be together, and then he just went and kissed me. I tried to push him away, but he was holding on tight to my forearms. I couldn't even pull my head back," Joey finished.

Pacey paused. "So then... I just completely misunderstood what I saw?" he said hopefully.

"Yes," Joey replied as she stood up and walked over to sit beside him. "Pacey... I would never ever deliberately cheat on you. I hope you know that."

Pacey paused to look into her eyes, only to find truth. "I know," he said.

Joey smiled. "He asked me if I thought you were the one," she said.

"Really? What'd you tell him?" he asked.

"I told him that you were a definite possibility to be the one," she replied.

Pacey let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and grinned. "You really think that?" he asked.

"Yes," Joey answered without hesitation. "Even though we're young, I just feel... this connection with you that I'll never have with anyone else."

Pacey smiled a little more, then his face grew serious. "But even with this connection, you can't tell me that you're feeling the sexual tension between us?" he asked.

Joey paused. "It's not exactly the easiest thing to bring up Pacey," she answered.

"But you should have told me the truth. If something's bothering you, I want to know about it. Even if it is about sexual tension. These are the things that we need to talk about," he said.

Joey sighed. "I know. I'm just afraid," she replied.

"Of what?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that if we have sex, everything will change between us. I don't want to lose what we have," she said.

Pacey stood up and walked in front of her. "I don't want to lose what we have either Jo. And I can't say that things won't change or they will change. But I can say, that whenever you're ready, however long it takes, I'll be waiting to take the plunge with you," he said as he cupped her face softly with his hands. She smiled under his touch and he leaned over and kissed her. As they pulled away, he reached for her hand. "Come on, how about we go back to Doug's place, pop in a frozen pizza and be alone for a few hours?" he suggested.

"Sounds like a plan," she said as she gripped his hand tightly. A million thoughts were racing through her head. She knew what she wanted. She wanted to take the plunge. She wanted to have sex with Pacey.

Doug's Place...

Joey was standing in Pacey's doorway, waiting for him to finish in the bathroom. She was wearing a white tank top and a pair of Simpsons boxers that Pacey had lent her. She had called Bessie earlier, telling her that Pacey wasn't feeling too well after eating too much cake at Dawson's party, and that she needed to stay and help him recover. She couldn't tell if Bessie fully believed her or not, but she had just said to be careful and to be home early. Joey looked down at her hands, which were shaking. She ran her hands through her hair and took some deep breaths to calm herself down. Her heart started going a million miles a minute when she heard Pacey walk out of the bathroom.

"Hey gorgeous," he said as he put his hand on her waist and kissed her softly. "I think that you should definitely wear my boxers more often," he said with a smile as he kissed her forehead. He walked over to his nightstand and opened it up. "Joey, have you seen my wallet?" he asked. "I gotta remember to leave some money for Doug for groceries or something like that."

"I think you left it in the kitchen, let me go check," she said anxiously as she walked off to retrieve his wallet. She got it from the counter, pausing momentarily to open it up and to look for the condom she knew was inside. She smiled as she pulled it out and closed the wallet. She walked back into Pacey's room. "I found it," she said as she gave him his wallet.

"Great, thanks," he said as he opened it up. However, the wallet felt different, like something had been taken out of it. He quickly looked into one of the flaps and noticed that his condom was gone. He looked up at Joey, who was smiling at him and walking towards him.

"Looking for something?" she asked as she held the condom up.

"Joey..." he started.

"I'm not upset Pacey. I..." she said as her voice quivered. "I want to use it."

Pacey paused as he took the condom from her hand and placed it on his dresser. "If this is about earlier, you don't have to do this," he said.

Joey smiled. "This isn't about what happened earlier with Dawson. You said earlier that whenever I was ready, you were going to take the plunge with me," she said as she started to unbutton his shirt. "I'm ready."

Pacey nervously kept his hands to his sides. "Joey, we don't have to do anything that you're not ready for," he said, his voice a little shaky.

Joey kept working at the buttons of his shirt. "Pacey. I know that I'm ready. I can feel it," she said as she slowly pushed his shirt of his shoulders. "I know what I want. I want you," she continued as she started placing kisses along his shoulders.

Pacey closed his eyes under her touch. His heart was racing. "I want you too," he said.

Joey felt the butterflies in her stomach multiply. "Show me," she whispered as she placed her hand over his heart and felt just how fast it was beating.

Pacey took a deep breath and leaned in to kiss her. He started off slow as his lips danced with hers. He ran one hand through her hair and the other hand softly gripped her waist. Joey kept her hand on his chest as she mimicked Pacey's action by running her fingers through Pacey's hair. Their kiss soon intensified as Pacey lid his tongue into her mouth, tasting every inch of it. Joey moaned into his mouth and allowed her tongue to softly dance with his. Pacey pulled his head back and began to kiss down her shoulders. Joey shivered under his kisses, and strained to pull him closer to her. She felt Pacey gently lift her off the floor and carry her over to his bed, laying her down on the covers. His eyes were full of question and desire as he stared into hers.

"Yes, Pacey," Joey said as she sat up a bit to meet him at the lips. She felt another wave of passion come over her as their kiss quickly became intense. She ran her hands down his chest and pulled at his wifebeater. Pacey lifted his arms so she could pull if off and toss it aside. They met at the lips once again as Pacey continued his assault of her mouth. Joey moaned once again and instinctively rocked her hips into Pacey's. Pacey's hands hesitantly toyed with the bottom of her tank top, pushing it up slowly as he started to expose her chest. Joey broke their kiss and put her arms up, giving him a smile as he slid her shirt up off her body with shaky hands and tossed it alongside his on the floor. He hovered above her as they resumed kissing, not wanting to put his entire weight on her. Joey could feel the sweat beginning to appear on her skin. She couldn't get enough of Pacey right now, and she wanted to feel him even closer. She gripped his waist and started to pull him directly on top of her.

"Joey, I don't want to crush you, I'm too heavy," he said in protest.

"I need to feel your skin against mine," she replied as she pressed herself directly up against him. Pacey moaned at her contact, and all coherent thoughts left his head. He took his time with Joey, slowly caressing her skin with his hands and lips. He heard her whimper every now and then, which made him grow harder than he thought possible under his boxers. He felt Joey toy with the button on his jeans, and he sat up a bit so she could have easier access. She undid the zipper and rolled the pants down his legs, pausing briefly to take them off his legs and to push them onto the floor. She grew a little more nervous as Pacey began tugging at her boxers, slipping them down her legs in one swift motion.

Pacey paused before reaching down to pull off her panties. He looked into her eyes for hesitation. "Yes, Pacey," she said once again as she ran her hand up his arm to his shoulder. Pacey smiled and slowly pulled off her panties and tossed them on the floor. Joey closed her eyes, wondering what Pacey was thinking.

Pacey reached forward and softly caressed her breast, trying to reassure her. "You're so beautiful Joey," he said as bent his head down to take her nipple into his mouth. "You have no idea," he finished as he moved his head over to her other breast.

Joey let out a sigh of relief as Pacey kissed his way back up her chest. She rested her head on his shoulder as she slowly peeled off his boxers, allowing him to spring free of any barriers. She pushed them down to his knees, and then felt Pacey kick them off to the edge of the bed. Pacey tilted his head down a bit, growing extremely self-conscious. Joey smiled and kissed him softly. "You're so handsome, you have no idea," she said as she kissed his neck.

Pacey smiled. He looked back over to the dresser and got up to retrieve the condom. Joey quickly pulled the covers back, allowing herself to get under them. Pacey walked back to the bed and slowly tore the package open. Before he rolled it on, he kissed Joey's forehead. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too," she replied, closing her eyes under his touch as she anxiously waited for him to put the condom on.

Pacey carefully rolled on the condom and positioned himself in front of Joey. He moved forward and kissed her on the cheek before brushing a few strands of her hair out of her face. Slowly, inch by inch, he gently slid into her. Joey closed her eyes tight as she felt Pacey enter her. She felt a sharp pain and she instinctively buried her head into the crook of his neck and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, her fingernails digging into his back. She felt Pacey pull his head back a bit to look at her. "Just relax Jo," he whispered. She simply nodded her head against his shoulder as she took a deep breath to calm down. Pacey kept still for a moment, waiting for her to adjust to him. Finally, Joey began to feel the pain give way to an intense heat that caused her to whimper. Pacey took this as his cue. He slowly began to thrust himself into her, going slow at first, and then quickening the pace in short spurts. He kept his eyes locked on Joey, allowing her emotions to determine the pace.

Joey hung onto Pacey's shoulder tightly, wanting to be as close to him as possible. She was keeping her eyes shut tight, just enjoying the waves of pleasure that were washing over her. "Pacey," she moaned as he began to quicken the pace. She slowly opened her eyes, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. Pacey smiled softly as he kissed her forehead and began to pump into her even harder. Joey began rocking her hips harder to meet his thrusts. She could feel herself melting into the waves of pleasure. Joey buried her head in his chest as she went over the edge, with Pacey following suit seconds later. They remained still, neither of them willing to lose the closeness they were feeling at that very moment. However, it was Pacey who had to break the closeness first as he reached down and slowly slid out of Joey, peeling off the condom and getting up to toss it in the garbage can. He crawled back into bed, wrapping his arms around Joey and pulling her close. She rested her head on his chest and began to trace patterns on his torso. "Pace," she said softly.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"That... that was amazing," she said earnestly as she looked up into his eyes. "Thank you."

Pacey grinned. "You know, you were pretty amazing too. And I should be the one thanking you," he said. Joey blushed a little at his compliment. "You know, there's probably a million things I'd like to say to you right now, but the only one that fits is I love you," he finished.

Joey smiled. "I love you too," she replied as she kissed him. She slowly closed her eyes and shifted in bed so that Pacey was spooning her. She rested her hand on top of his and fell into a blissful sleep. Pacey kissed her neck and shut his eyes as well. What had started at as a terrible evening turned into the most amazing night of his life. He smiled into her neck and fell asleep.


	17. Psychic Friends: The Morning After

Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of its characters.

Author's Note: Thanks to the following for reading and reviewing my story: Gypsy, Giuliana, justagirl, alysa, Aubrey, Abagail Snow, Cesare, roundin3rd, Molly, kelcb26, annie, dwscreekfreak, Vale, )TINK(, Vera, Annie, Pacey-Luver, FinallyPJ, SmOgLoViNg, MDSWitter26, Cila, meli dav, patcreekgirl, sunydee2 and coffechick I appreciate the comments and constructive criticism. You guys rock!!!

Joey slowly shifted in her sleep as she felt a ray of sun hit her face. She turned over and opened her eyes. She smiled as she saw Pacey's sleeping form in front of her, with his head slightly tilted towards her and his arm still draped over her waist. She began to blush a little upon remembering what they did last night. She bent her head forward and rested it on his chest. She felt Pacey squirm a little in his sleep, letting out a heavy sigh as his eyes slowly fluttered open. He immediately saw Joey and grinned. "Hey," he said as tightened his grip on her waist.

"Hey," she replied as ran her hands over his chest. She got up a little so that she could see the clock. It read 8:48. "It's almost nine," she declared as she settled back into their embrace. "Do you think we should get up soon?" she asked.

"No. I think we should stay like this forever," he said as he kissed her. The kiss soon turned passionate as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, allowing it to circle with hers. However, they were interrupted by the telephone. "Let the machine get it," he said as he pulled Joey closer to him. Joey didn't respond, she just wrapped her arms around his neck, not caring about the phone. She heard the message on Doug's machine and then the beep. She groaned as she realized who was on the phone.

"Joey? Joey? Okay, I'm assuming that you're still asleep, but I really need you to get home. I have to get to the Icehouse, and there's nobody here to watch Alexander. If you could get here in like, I don't know, ten minutes, that'd be great, and if you can't, then I'm just gonna drive up to Doug's and drag you home, asleep or not. Okay, bye," Bessie said as she rambled to the answering machine.

Joey groaned as she pulled away from Pacey. "You heard her. I'd rather have her drag me home fully clothed than naked, so I'm gonna go get dressed," she said as she sat up, bringing the sheets up with her.

"Yeah," Pacey said as he began to sit up himself. He watched carefully as Joey wrapped a sheet around herself and began collecting her clothes. "Are you going to say anything to her?" he asked.

"About what?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know, about last night?" he replied.

"No," she stated as she walked into the bathroom.

Pacey paused before getting out of bed and putting on his boxers. He followed her to the bathroom. "Why not?" he asked.

"Because, Pacey, let's imagine to how she'd react when I told her that you de-flowered me last night," she replied.

"Don't you think she had any suspicions as to why you spent the night with me?" Pacey asked.

"I told her that you were sick and needing the loving attention of your girlfriend," she replied. "Now if you'll just hang on, I need to get beautiful," she said as she shut the door.

Pacey smiled slightly as he turned around and walked back into his room. He pulled out some clothes from his dresser before he walked back to the bed and began picking up his scattered clothes from the previous evening. He remembered everything about the night before in full detail. He frowned as he remembered what had happened with Dawson. They hadn't talked about what they were going to do when they saw him again. He quickly threw on a new pair of boxers and a wifebeater before heading back to the bathroom. He knocked on the door hesitantly. "Jo?" he inquired.

"What?" Joey replied as she opened the door.

"What are we going to do about the thing with Dawson?" he asked.

Joey stared at him in thought. "I don't know," she said as she switched off the light and walked out of the bathroom.

"Can we talk about it?" he asked.

"Do we have to do it right now Pacey?" Joey asked.

Pacey frowned. "I think this is kind of important Jo. And maybe when we're done discussing Dawson, we can have a little chat about last night," he replied.

Joey looked at him with question. "What about last night?" she asked.

"Look, Joey, usually couples in our position have like, a post-game wrap-up," he explained.

"So, basically, you want me to tell you if you were good," she said. "Pacey..." she started.

"Jo, it's not like that," Pacey argued. "Now that we've had sex, things are going to change. It's inevitable. I'm not asking about my performance, I'm trying to ask you how things are going to change between us. Isn't that important to you?" he asked.

Joey walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Pacey, of course I think it's important. It's just..." she started before she heard a loud knock at the door.

"Joey? Joey?" Bessie called.

Joey sighed. "I'll be right there Bess," she called out. She turned back to Pacey. "Can you come over later? Please?" she asked.

Pacey nodded. "Yeah. I'll stop by in awhile," he said.

"Thank you," Joey replied as she walked away to grab her coat. "Bye Pace," she said.

"Yep," Pacey answered a little dejectedly.

Joey paused at the door. "Hey Pace?" she said.

"Yeah?" he said, looking up.

"For what it's worth, let's just say that you were really good and that I thoroughly enjoyed myself," Joey said as she opened the door and left.

Pacey felt a small grin grow on his face as he watched her leave. He had been wondering about his performance. Even though Joey had told him that it was amazing last night, it was nice to hear. He turned around and went to take a shower before stopping over at Joey's.

Later on at Joey's house...

Pacey walked up the steps to Joey's house, feeling a little uneasy. He fidgeted with his jacket before knocking on the door. He shifted his feet a few times, trying not to let his nerves get the best of him. His heart quickened when he heard her voice.

"Hey," she stated simply as she opened the door. "Come on in," she said as turned around to go back inside, suddenly feeling a little nervous herself. She led him to the living room, where Alexander was chewing on a stuffed animal. She sat on the couch and took a deep breath to try and calm herself down. "Where should we start?" she asked. "Dawson or post-game wrap-up?"

"It doesn't matter," Pacey replied.

Joey sighed. "I'm scared Pacey. I'm scared that now that we've had sex, that things are going to change between us. And I don't want things to change, I mean, what if they do? And what if I lose you? I don't know what I would if that happened," Joey said.

"Why do you think that now that we've had sex, our relationship will take a turn for the worse? I don't understand that," Pacey said. "Cause the way I see it, sex usually brings people closer together."

"I can't help it. I'm just scared," she replied.

"Do you regret it?" Pacey said in a low voice, not able to look up at her.

Joey froze and could feel his fear. She got up and sat on his lap. She took his head in her hands. "No," she answered quietly. "Last night was the most amazing night of my life."

Pacey paused before looking up into her eyes. "You really mean that?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, kissing his forehead. "Look, I know that I shouldn't be scared, but the love that we share is so real, that it moves me, and it keeps me going. It's like the air I breathe. I don't know what I'd do without it."

"It's alright to be scared. I just don't want you to be scared of me. I love you, and you know that. I'm in for the long haul. I don't plan on living without you by my side. Okay?" he said.

"Okay," she said, leaning in to kiss him. "Now about Dawson," she continued. "I don't know what we should do about him."

"I don't even think I could look at him right now Joey," Pacey said. "He completely dis-respected our relationship."

"I know, Pace," Joey agreed. "But it's not like we can just cut him out of our lives."

"We could try," Pacey suggested.

"Pacey, I'm angry at him too. He had no right to say the things he said or to kiss me. But we can't avoid him. He's probably watching some movie right now, analyzing the entire situation. We have to give him another chance," Joey reasoned.

Pacey sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'm still mad at him though."

Joey gave him a small smile. "But?" she inquired.

"But, I'll try to give him another chance," Pacey said.

"Thank you," Joey said as she rested her head on his chest. They sat in silence for a few minutes, just listening to each other's breathing. "Pace?"

"Yeah?" he answered, tilting his head down to look at her.

"Was I... I mean, how did I... how would you say I measured up?" she asked nervously.

"What?" Pacey asked, not following her.

"About last night, how would you say I measured up? Was I, you know, good?" she asked embarrassed as her cheeks began to redden.

"Jo, you were more than good. You were fantastic, you were amazing. Words can't even describe how I was feeling last night," Pacey replied.

Joey smiled as her cheeks began to redden even more because of his compliment. "I'm sorry that I made you feel like I didn't think our relationship is important. And I'm sorry that I went all typical morning-after-the-first-time on you."

"It's okay, really, it's fine. I just don't want you to shut me out. It's okay to have morning after awkwardness, I just want you to be able to tell me that," Pacey said.

"I think I can manage that," Joey said as she leaned in to give him a hug. "We're okay now?"

"Actually, I think we should discuss my sexual prowess a bit more," Pacey said jokingly as he nuzzled her neck softly. "Or..."

"Or what?" Joey asked impatiently.

"Or we could just sit here, and I could hold you instead," Pacey said.

"Hmmm... I like that idea," Joey replied with a smile as she kissed the tip of his nose and settled into his arms. "Hey Pace?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, just so you know... I'm really glad that we had sex," she said.

Pacey grinned. "Me too," he agreed as he bent forward to kiss the top of her head.

Later on...

"Pace, could you grab Alexander while I change for work?" Joey asked.

"Sure thing," Pacey said as he disappeared after Alexander.

Joey quickly changed into her work clothes and headed back into the kitchen. "Could you watch Alexander until Bessie comes home?" she asked.

"Yeah, I got him, you better head off or you'll be late," Pacey said as he lifted Alexander into his arms. He walked towards Joey and kissed her softly. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Ok, bye Pace," Joey said as she walked to the door and opened it, ready to leave. But to her surprise, someone was standing at the door. "Dad?"


End file.
